In Memoriam: Eunice Walker Johnson (1916-2010)

Eunice Walker Johnson, Fashion and Business Icon and Widow of late Johnson Publishing Company founder John H. Johnson has died. She was 93. Mrs. Johnson and her husband the late John H. Johnson founded Johnson Publishing Company with $ 500 and a vision to create a publishing company geared toward African-American culture and lifestyle. Over 60 years later, Johnson Publishing Company and its subsidiaries is the #1 privately black owned and operated business in the world. and Mrs. Johnson served as Secretary-Treasurer of Johnson Publishing Company which is the home of Ebony and Jet  and held several other positions in the company as well. It was Mrs. Johnson's work as the founder of Ebony Fashion Fair of which she served as director and producer, that garnered her the most notoriety. Mrs. Johnson created Ebony Fashion Fair to expose African-Americans to the world of high fashion couture. Mrs. Johnson becamed the major purchaser of high fashion couture used in the Ebony Fashion Fair because design houses would not loan the clothing so she bought the clothing herself. Fashion legends such as Yves St. Laurent, Bill Blass and  Nina Ricci had their fashions showcased at the Ebony Fashion Fair. African- American designers such as Tracy Reese and Kevan Hall also had their fashions showcased at the Ebony Fashion Fair. The world's largest and longest running traveling fashion show has been a staple within black communities and has been sponsored by sororities and corporate sponsors. The Ebony Fashion Fair has donated tens of millions of dollars for charities and non-profit organizations and was a proud supporter of the United Negro College Fund, the Urban League and the NAACP. The Ebony Fashion Fair thrilled audiences in the United States and branched out to the United Kingdom and the Carribean.

The success of the Ebony Fashion Fair lead to the creation of Fashion Fair Cosmetics. Fashion Fair Cosmetics exposed the untapped market of makeup and skincare products for women of color. Mrs. Johnson and her husband were met with great resistance when urging cosmetics companies to create a line of cosmetics geared toward women of color. Taking matters into their own hands, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson went to a private lab that developed formulas based on what models touring in Ebony Fashion Fair gave them. The first Fashion Fair products were sold at Marshall Fields in Chicago and the response was overwhelming. To this day Fashion Fair Cosmetics is the world's #1 line of makeup and skincare for women of color. Fashion Fair Cosmetics can be purchased in Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Neiman-Marcus and other fine retail stores.

Mrs. Johnson leaves to cherish her memory her daughter Linda Johnson-Rice (Chairman/CEO of Johnson Publishing Company), her Son-In-Law Mel Farr, granddaughter Alexa Christina Rice and a host of other family members and friends. She will be missed.