Zelda Wynn Valdes (1905-2001) was an iconic American fashion designer and trailblazing business owner.
As a young woman, Zelda Wynn Valdes started working in her uncle’s tailoring shop in outer New York, while also working in a high-end fashion boutique as a salesgirl. In 1948, she opened her own shop on Broadway in New York City, making her the first African-American to own a store on the highly coveted street. was the creator of the original Playboy Bunny costume. Valdes began her career in the peak years of Jim Crow segregation, when black seamstresses were largely low-wage...regardless, she became the first black woman to open a store on broadway and dressed many Hollywood stars and her clients were paying her ALOT. She also was responsible for the pieces African-American jazz singer Joyce Bryant wore which got a her nicknamed a sex symbol and 'the black Marilyn Monroe:
Zelda Wynn Valdes was known for creating gowns that fit perfectly- regardless of the shape of the wearer, Valdes could create a design that accentuated any woman’s body type. She became one of Hollywood’s most sought after designers, creating dresses for Josephine Baker, Mae West, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and the wedding of Maria and Nat King Cole.
Zelda Wynn Valdes was commissioned by Hugh Hefner to design the original Playboy Bunny costumes which have become an iconic symbol in pop culture. She was also the New York chapter president of the National Association of Fashion & Accessory Designer (NAFAD), a coalition of black designers that was founded by Mary McLeod Bethune.