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5 Black fashion designers who broke barriers in the industry
Fox News
Trends come and go, but these trailblazing Black fashion designers strived to create legacies that would always be remembered.
Elizabeth Keckley was born into slavery in Virginia in 1818, and learned to sew from her mother, the National Museum of American History reports. Keckley's owners struggled to make ends meet and relocated to St. Louis in the 1840s, hiring her out as a seamstress. Though her owner collected most of her wages, Keckley earned a reputation for excellent work, and was ultimately able to buy freedom for herself and her son. Moving her family to Washington, D.C., Keckley became the personal dressmaker to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln in 1861. From there, the designer became one of the first lady's "closest confidantes."More Related News