Zelda Wynn Valdes

Zelda Barbour Wynn Valdes (June 28, 1901 - September 26, 2001)[1] was an American fashion designer and costumer.

[6] Zelda Wynn Valdes was the eldest of seven children, who grew up in a small rural town called Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

[1] She sold her dresses to movie star Dorothy Dandridge, opera diva Jessye Norman, and singer Gladys Knight.

[5] Additional celebrity clients included Josephine Baker, Mae West, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and Marian Anderson, Constance Bennet, Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight.

[4] Valdes also created a new sexier image for singer Joyce Bryant who LIFE Magazine dubbed "the Black Marilyn Monroe.

[10] Her extensive clientele coupled to her involvement as president of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers in 1949, bolstered her career.

[12] Since 2013, rumours have suggested the original design of the Playboy Bunny costume was by Valdes; however, there exists no evidence to support this.

She directed the Fashion and Design Workshop of the Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited and Associated Community Teams (HARYOU-ACT).

Valdes taught costume designing skills and facilitated fabric donations to the student workshops.

Wynn's fashion career was inherently connected to the Civil Right movement, as her success came at a time during racial segregation in the United States.