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in
Connecticut. During his time there, he also worked in several jobs, including in dressmaking and in an aircraft factory. He was active in local theater and other social groups, and was mentioned as having a fiancée, but never married. By 1954, he was in New York, where he attended the Mayer School
157:, North Carolina, to John Wesley Tann, a farmer, and Abbie (Mitchell), a dressmaker, who taught him to sew. He had a sister, Mabel. He was 13 years old when his mother died, and he moved to Washington, D.C., where he first stayed at the
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308:... If I had a good garment to offer and others had the same, I stood out because I was black. This gave me more attention and thus more attention was directed to my garment and its workmanship." In his later years, he told
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called him "among the first Blacks to have a successful and visible clothing business in the country's fashion centre on
Seventh Avenue in New York". He was part of two museum exhibitions;
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technology, experimenting with how telephones could be used to sell fashion in the future. He taught and encouraged younger Black designers in New York, after his shop closed in 1965.
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During his time at Mayer, he worked for several companies as an assistant, including companies that made lingerie, low-cost dresses, bridal wear, cocktail dresses and sportswear. The
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gained enough interest to inspire several designers including Tann to design dresses based on the sari. Tann produced several dresses using saris including two that featured in
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called him a "young individualist" and noted that Tann always designed completely lined dresses and his ideas were "bold" with "careful workmanship". In 1973
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321:. Later in life, Tann returned to Newark, and taught etiquette and decorating classes. He also donated his time and talents to decorating homes for Newark's
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for around six years. Powell sent him to the
International School of Etiquette and Protocol in Washington, and introduced him to civil rights lawyer
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and he was the first to do so. According to Nancy Diehl, it was "outside the main industry centre on
Seventh Avenue". His clientele included
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featured Tann in an article titled "The
American Spirit of '73", in which they credited his early pioneering work in fashion.
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featured Tann in a page giving tribute to Black
Americans in 1999; it was published in several publications. In 2004, the
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in 1962, when she had brought back several saris with the intention to make them into dresses, for a short while the
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103:(July 17, 1928 – November 23, 2012) was an American fashion designer. His clientele included
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After a short move back to Newark, New Jersey, with his sister, he attended the
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In 1961, he formed his own company. Already in a small studio on
Manhattan's
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in 2006 and 2007, and at the Museum of
Fashion Institute of Technology's
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that his color had made it difficult to obtain the fabrics he needed.
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in
Philadelphia also stocked several of Tann's sari-inspired dresses.
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Wesley Tann cut velvet coat, ca. 1960s. Adnan Ege Kutay
Collection.
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In his later life, he worked in interior design, including work on
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665:"Black fashion designers are establishing their own businesses"
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Subsequently, he worked in interior design, including work on
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clothes producer, Mister Vee, then employed Tann in 1960.
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Jacqueline Kennedy's goodwill tour of India and Pakistan
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credited him with "pioneering contributions". In 2007,
475:"Negro Dress Designer Says His Color Has Helped Him"
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138:, and later moved to Newark and taught etiquette.
254:. In 1964, he participated in a demonstration of
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304:that "my color has helped me rather than hurt me
291:-style suit and a two-piece red and gold dress.
612:"28 Days of Black Fashion History: Wesley Tann"
16:African–American fashion designer (1928–2012)
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442:"7. Wesley Tann: the glamour and the guts"
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747:"Tann, Wesley - Yale University Library"
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127:. His 1962 collection included several
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576:"Inaugural dress ideas for Mrs. Obama"
542:"Youth Puts New Life in N.Y. Fashions"
636:Radcliffe, Evelyn (October 7, 1964).
574:White, Renee Minus (April 12, 2011).
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473:Allsbrook, Raleigh (April 12, 1962).
181:of Fashion, and night classes at the
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663:Cunningham, Bill (August 25, 1969).
540:Livingstone, Evelyn (July 3, 1962).
790:African Americans in North Carolina
610:Drew, Mikelle (February 27, 2021).
446:Black Designers in American Fashion
795:African-American fashion designers
690:Zezima, Katie (December 2, 2012).
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638:"Buy Fashions by Long Distance?"
145:, New Jersey, is named for him.
724:. December 10, 2003. p. 65
183:Fashion Institute of Technology
805:People from Newark, New Jersey
363:Museum of the City of New York
178:Hartford Art School of Fashion
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369:exhibition in 2016 and 2017.
283:and that became available at
751:collections.library.yale.edu
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218:, it was on New York City's
185:. He had also trained under
161:. He lived with congressman
732:– via Newspapers.com.
706:– via Newspapers.com.
679:– via Newspapers.com.
652:– via Newspapers.com.
558:– via Newspapers.com.
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444:. In Way, Elizabeth (ed.).
61:Rich Square, North Carolina
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800:American fashion designers
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349:Fashion and Arts Xchange
163:Rep. Adam Clayton Powell
149:Early life and education
580:New York Amsterdam News
367:Black Fashion Designers
301:Baltimore Afro-American
246:. He later submitted a
215:New York Amsterdam News
448:. Bloomsbury, London:
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757:on September 18, 2022
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450:Bloomsbury Publishing
440:Deihl, Nancy (2021).
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129:sari-inspired dresses
696:The Bismarck Tribune
642:Redwood City Tribune
452:. pp. 134–150.
381:, is named for him.
323:Habitat for Humanity
298:In 1962 he told the
293:Joseph Horne Company
275:sari-inspired dress
232:Carmen de Lavallade
113:Carmen de Lavallade
101:John Wesley Tann Jr
47:John Wesley Tann Jr
479:Des Moines Tribune
379:Newark, New Jersey
341:Women's Wear Daily
336:Women's Wear Daily
280:The New York Times
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224:Jacqueline Kennedy
105:Jacqueline Kennedy
37:Tann at work, 1965
616:383 Design Studio
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240:Jennie Grossinger
191:Oscar de la Renta
171:Howard University
121:Jennie Grossinger
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72:November 23, 2012
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74:(2012-11-23)
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785:2012 deaths
780:1928 births
718:"Designers"
329:Recognition
250:design for
155:Rich Square
25:Wesley Tann
774:Categories
728:October 1,
702:October 1,
675:October 1,
648:October 1,
554:October 1,
485:October 1,
385:References
269:Following
141:A road in
91:Occupation
53:1928-07-17
361:, at the
325:program.
81:Education
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289:Chanel
248:sheath
197:Career
143:Newark
63:, U.S.
354:Ebony
763:2022
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650:2022
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454:ISBN
189:and
159:YMCA
69:Died
43:Born
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