Burrows, Stephen
1943- · Contribution: 1970-1977
Originated color-blocking and the 'lettuce hem' technique in fashion; one of five designers at the 1973 Battle of Versailles
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Became the first Black designer to win the Coty Award, fashion's highest honor at the time, winning it three times, and was one of only five American designers chosen for the historic 1973 'Battle of Versailles' fashion show that helped establish American fashion's independence from Parisian couture dominance.
Life & background
Raised by his mother and grandmother in Newark, New Jersey, both of whom worked as sample hands in the garment industry, Burrows graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1966 and became one of the first Black fashion designers to achieve international acclaim. Known for graphic color-blocking and a signature curling 'lettuce hem' created initially by accident from overstretched jersey fabric, he opened his own boutique within the Henri Bendel department store in 1970 and was one of five American designers selected for the historic 1973 'Battle of Versailles' fashion show, a competition credited with establishing American fashion's independence from Parisian couture. He became the first Black designer to win the Coty Award, winning it three times between 1973 and 1977.
Sources
- Fashion History Timeline (FIT); Fashion and Race Database
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