#40. Beverly Valdes: First Black Model for A Fashion Revolution on the Runway

Beverly Valdes: Photo from FIT Pauline Trigère archive

In the summer of 1961, Pauline Trigère quietly made fashion history.

At a time when racial barriers still dominated Seventh Avenue, Trigère hired Beverly Valdes, making her the first Black model to work for a leading New York couture and the first to appear in a major designer runway presentation.

The decision made headlines across America.

Fashion editor Eugenia Sheppard called it "Another first for Pauline Trigère." The New York Times, The New York Post, The Herald Tribune, Jet, Ebony, Newsweek, and dozens of newspapers celebrated the historic moment. Soon the story crossed the Atlantic, appearing in France, Italy, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, and beyond.

What made the story even more remarkable was Pauline's response to the attention.

"I don't care about the skin color of my models. I only care about their grace and charm."

Her decisions came at a price. Some Southern retailers threatened to cancel their orders. Pauline never wavered. Beverly Valdes remained a permanent model in the House of Trigère, proving that ability and grace--not race--belonged on the runway.

Beverly Valdes fitting with Pauline Trigere. FIT archive

Beverly Valdes with Pauline Trigere. FIT Archive

Journalist Inez Kaiser perhaps captured the moment best when she wrote:

"Pauline Trigère has cut a new pattern... one that is sure to be copied by many in the years to come."

She was right.

A year later, Life magazine recognized the significance of Trigère's groundbreaking decisions in its feature, "Negro Models--a Band of Beautiful Pioneers". Three decades later, during Pauline Trigère's Golden Jubilee celebration at FIT, New York City Mayor David Dinkins honored her courage for helping open the doors of American fashion to Black models.

Yet today, this extraordinary chapter has largely been forgotten.

During my years researching Pauline Trigère's life--including uncovering rare photographs, museum archives, and conducting personal interviews--I discovered countless stories that are fascinating about this remarkable designer.

This is only one.

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