Annie Jewell Moore, a fashion trailblazer, and alum of Spelman College celebrated a major milestone, her 104th birthday, recently.
She was born in Dayton Beach, Florida on Sept. 20, 1919, and moved to Atlanta with her family at the age of three following the death of her father.
Growing up, Moore found her calling thanks to the daughter of a family friend, who showed off her sewing skills.
After studying at Spelman, Moore worked on costumes for Broadway productions and had her work featured in Vogue and Jet.
“I saw all of these gorgeous doll clothes she had made by hand, and I wanted to learn to sew like that. And, that was my earliest inspiration to get into fashion,” she told WABE in 2019.
She said her love of design and fashion continued with her after she graduated from Spelman College in 1943. According to Spelman, Moore became one of the first African Americans to study at the Traphagen School of Fashion, the New York Fashion Academy, and Paris’ École Guerre Lavigna.
After studying at Spelman, Moore worked on costumes for Broadway productions and had her work featured in Vogue and Jet.
In 1963, she branched out on her own, opening the Ann Moore Couturiere in Detroit. It was the only Black-owned haute couture salon in the city.
Moore’s shop featured both daytime and evening wear. Eventually, she moved back to Atlanta, where she founded and served as president of the Benefactors of Education Inc.
The nonprofit helped provide scholarships and other resources to underserved students looking to pursue a career in fashion and arts.
She celebrated her 104th birthday alongside residents and staff at the A.G. Rhodes nursing home in Atlanta.
After moving back to Atlanta, she founded and served as president at the Benefactors of Education, Inc., a nonprofit that provided scholarships and assistance to students interested in fashion and the arts.
Last year, the Atlanta History Center celebrated Moore with an exhibit of her clothing collection at their Rountree Visual Vault.
Moore is now the oldest living Spelman alumnus and attended her Class of 1943 reunion earlier this year.
