Ep. 61: How Dorothea Towles Church Became the First Black Woman to Model for Major European Fashion Houses

Black Fashion History

Dorothea Towles Church spent over five years in Europe during the 1950s, modeling for designers like Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, Robert Piguet, Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain and more. As the first Black woman to model for major European fashion houses, Church used her gifts and access to help othe black women learn about the fashion industry and give back to her community. Taniqua dives into the career of Dorothea Church.

Black Fashion Spotlight:

Invisible Beauty Film

Episode Sources/Further Reading:

Blazing the Way One Runway Turn at a Time

Dorothea Church, 83; First Black Model to Work for French Designers

1950s Fashion Model | Dorothea Church

Church, Dorothea Towles (1922-2006)

Dorothea Towles: Christian Dior's Choice for the "New Look"

Follow us on IG: @blackfashionhistorypodcast @taniquarudell

www.blackfashionhistory.com