Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Wynn Valdes

by Aura Lewis, Farai Simoyi

In this lustrous nonfiction picture book biography, meet Black fashion icon and design pioneer Zelda Wynn Valdes, whose dresses, gowns, and costumes helped make people shine.

Zelda grew up watching her grandmother at the sewing machine, until she decided her grandmother deserved a pretty dress of her own—and Zelda was going to make it herself. Snip, snap, sew! The dress was sensational! Her grandmother glowed, her family was dazzled, and Zelda fell in love with sewing, sequins, and style. She began to dream of designing dresses that made people everywhere feel beautiful.

Zelda started off patching and mending at a tailor shop and making dresses when she could. The 1950s fashion world was run by white designers, and people weren’t used to Black women like Zelda making a name for themselves. But Zelda knew she could do it. Eventually, her designs became so popular that Zelda opened her very own boutique in New York City! People of all backgrounds and sizes came to Zelda’s store, and she dressed them for every occasion.

She continued to wow crowds, magazines, critics, and celebrities with her designs. She made gowns for famous singers like Ella Fitzgerald, costumes for Broadway shows, and tights for ballerinas that matched the dancers’ skin tones. Zelda was a star, and with every sketch, stitch, and design, she gave people a way to dazzle!

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, History, African American, Fashion, Art

40 pages, Hardcover

Published August 13, 2024

About the author

Aura’s work explores women’s stories, memory, and identity through visual narrative. Her practice spans illustration, books, and painting, all rooted in storytelling and imagination. She holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and is inspired by fashion from around the world, playful color, vintage design, and popular culture.

Reviews

[DeMilya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Innovative and bright as the sequins she sewed on dresses, Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Wynn Valdes tells the story of Zelda, a Black fashion designer in times when Black people weren’t seen as changemakers. This colorful and brilliant book follows Zelda from childhood to adulthood with tales of her family, developing her craft, and showing up for those behind her. We glimpse her young life as she learned how to sew from her grandmother. Following the yellow, blue, and pink dresses, we learn about fashion’s impact on music and dance culture as we see figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker sporting Zelda’s designs. This nonfiction biography will be perfect for those looking to learn how history and fashion connect and how fashion helped break down racial barriers in America. While this story could be read aloud, it would also be great for independent reading and research on one of America’s greatest fashion designers who paved the way for others like her to have a say in how we present ourselves to the world.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good informational picture book about a innovative Black woman! I knew nothing about Zelda Wynn Valdes before reading this book so it provided me some great insight.