Ebony Fashion Fair exhibition coming to Chicago History Museum

Eunice Johnson at Bill Blass show in 1971

Photo: Courtesy of Johnson Publishing

The late fashion icon Eunice Johnson gets her due with a 2013 exhibition at Chicago History Museum. Today the museum announced that the exhibit, featuring clothing from the Ebony Fashion Fair show produced by Johnson, will open in March 2013.

I'm pretty excited to see this exhibit realized. Johnson—with her unrelenting devotion to the  modern—had an unparalleled eye for design, color, line and, when it came to fashion, new and exciting silhouettes. The Chicago History Museum show, while not yet fully conceived, plans to feature 60 garments from the Ebony Fashion Fair collection, including "haute couture significant to late 20th century fashion."

The exhibition also delves into the cultural significance of the Ebony Fashion Fair runway show. Produced by Johnson, it was known as the first couture and prêt-à-porter show aimed at African American women. Johnson sourced prominent designers of the time, including Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Stephen Burrows, Yves Saint Laurent, Patrick Kelly, Christian Lacroix, Valentino Garavani, Roberto Cavalli and Pierre Cardin. Ebony Fashion Fair started in 1958, but, knowing Johnson's eye for design, every piece in the exhibition will look like the next hottest thing. I can already hear the clicking of Louboutin's lining up in the Chicago History Museum's grand entryway.