Mildred Blount.

In honor of Black History month, we will be honoring black fashion industry professionals that paved the way for so many.

Mildred was born in 1907 in North Carolina. Over years of attending Cooper Union and volunteering during the World War 11, Mildred decided to pursue her dream of millinery.

At the New York State Fair in 1939, Mildred designed 66 miniature hats, her exhibit was the talk of the fair. Mildred was then asked to do hat designs for films like "Gone with the Wind' & "Easter Parade" this made her the first African American to make hats for movies, also making her the first African American member of the Motion Pictures Costumers Union.

After designing hats for movies, she opened up her own shop in Beverly Hills,CA. While designing hats for her shop, her clients included celebrities like Joan Crawford, Gloria Vanderbilt, Ginger Rogers and more.

Mildred died in 1974. Mildreds work can now be found at  the California African American Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.