The Ebony Fashion Fair (EFF) emerged with the help of Mrs. Jessie Covington Dent, wife of former Dillard University President Emeritus, Alfred W. Dent. The EFF was an annual traveling fashion show which gave African-Americans an opportunity to see what they’d only read about: dazzling, glamorous, dramatic couture pieces. The shows, held over 50 plus years, raised more than $55 million dollars that went towards helping charities and college students across the country. An EFF exhibit is coming to the Chicago History Museum, opening March 16, 2013 and running through January 4, 2014.

Read more about the history of the Ebony Fashion Fair on Fashionista.com.