[Paving the RUNway: Naomi Sims]

Naomi Sims was the first African American Model to cover a major magazine (Ladies' Home Journal 1968) and is also disputed as The First Black Supermodel. Naomi has graced the runways of Halston and was photographed and interview by acclaimed artist Andy Warhol. Though Naomi was a face of the late sixties and early seventies, many of her pictures are very relevant today due to her modern look. Ms. Sims died of breast cancer August 2009. She will forever be accredited to paving the way for supermodels who have gained overwhelming notoriety in today's fashion industry. Pop the top to see more pics of Ms. Sims...

[The First Black Fashion Designer]

Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly was born into slavery in 1818. Keckly's mother, who was also a slave, taught Elizabeth how to sew in between doing various chores on the plantation. And Elizabeth also taught herself how to read. She was forced to work for a seamstress to make money for her slave-master, and in doing so created a large enough clientele to borrow enough money to buy her son and herself out of slavery. She then made her way to Washington D.C. were she started her own business, expressing to her clients that her dream was to be the official "modiste" of the White House. Word spread and Keckly was soon asked to design and construct an inaguration gown for Mary Todd Lincoln (President Abraham Lincoln's wife). The Lincoln's loved the gown so much that Elizabeth was asked to become Mary Lincoln's official dressmaker. Pop the top to see the dress Elizabeth Keckly designed for Mrs. Lincoln...