2/21/21 Black History Month
Chicago milliner Artie Wiggins was often mentioned in Johnson Publications’ Jet and Ebony magazines during the 1950’s and 60’s, also Chicago based, as well as New York Age. That said, her connection to their Ebony Fashion Fair seems inevitable. During that time, Wiggins designed hats for the iconic travelling fashion show as well as others, authored booklets on hats and designed patterns for Hats Magazine. Artie’s designs also found their way into print via her close friendship with the first African American female cartoonist, Jackie Ormes. Omes worked for the Chicago Defender and Pittsburgh Courier newspapers and used Wiggins’ hat styles for the main character in her ‘Torchy’s Togs” paper dolls series. Sound familiar?