I Didn't Know That! The Fashion Industry's Little Secret

"The Threads of Time, The Fabric of History", a book by Mrs. Rosemary Reed-Miller, brings to light the contribution of African American women fashion designers. It's amazing how the author takes us back, way back to the 1850's and brings us up to the very present with notable black women designers. This is history, American history that's not praised or spoken about widely. I surely didn't learn about this when I was in fashion design school. You can believe though, that I learned about European designers. You know, all of the legendary couture designers.


This book is filled with profiles of well over 20 designers. It's a paperback book, now in it's 3rd edition. It's filled with black and white photos of designers and their work. Mrs. Reed-Miller starts with the profile of Mrs. Elizabeth Keckley who was born in 1818 in Dinwidie, Virginia. Mrs. Keckley was born during slavery and developed the craft of sewing. She honed her skills so well that she was able to build a business as a dressmaker for wealthy women. She won the appointment to be the dressmaker for Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. To give you an idea of how important the role of being a black seamstress was in those days, here is an excerpt from the first paragraph of Mrs. Keckley's profile:

"During slavery in the United States, first in the colonies and then later in the states and territories, black women were responsible for the sewing needs of the plantation as well as the general household in the city. They mended and fashioned clothing for the mistress of the house, the family and household servants. They used their ingenuity and skills to make and repair clothing from leftover materials for the other slaves and children."


This book goes through history the bad and the good times with interesting highlights. Have you ever heard of Ann Lowe? She designed the wedding gown for Mrs. Jackie Kennedy.


I truly love the history and richness of the stories behind these designers. This book is an excellent read for any fashion or American history enthusiast.


You can get more details and purchase this book directly from the author's website www.toastandstrawberries.com. Go ahead check it out! The author has been in the fashion industry for over 30 years. She established the famed boutique in Washington, DC, Toast and Strawberries!


Enjoy!