Ebony Fashion Fair Creator Eunice W. Johnson Dies

Ebony Fashion Fair Creator Eunice W. Johnson Dies

Eunice W. Johnson, the wife of late Johnson Publishing founder John. H. Johnson and creator of the annual Ebony Fashion Fair traveling fashion show, died on January 3. She was 93 years old.

Eunice W. Johnson works with fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. (Courtesy of Ebony Archives)

Mrs. Johnson, who also served as the secretary and treasurer of Johnson Publishing, began her world famous fashion show in 1961 to showcase the range of fashion styles and cosmetics sported by African-American women.

Supermodels, including Tyra Banks, Beverly Johnson, Iman, and Naomi Campbell, have participated in the fair.

“Mrs. Johnson has always been a woman ahead of her time. Under her direction, Mrs. Johnson made a tremendous impact on the fashion industry, showcasing the best in style on African-American models of various shapes, sizes and skin tones,” said Wendy Parks, a spokeswoman for Johnson Publishing.

To date, Ebony Fashion Fair, the world’s largest traveling fashion show, which annually tours nearly 180 cities in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, has raised more than $55 million for various charities.

For her commitment to community service, Mrs. Johnson has won several awards, including honors from the United Negro College Fund, The Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, Alabama A&M University, Loyola University and a host of others.

“Mrs. Johnson will be sincerely missed, and her life and work will continue to be defined by her contributions to the world of fashion and design for years to come,” said Parks.

Her daugher, Linda Johnson Rice, is the Chairman and CEO of Johnson Courtesy of BET.COM