12. Zelda Wynn Valdes, Fashion Designer
In an era that still abounds with hashtags like #OscarsSoWhite to protest the lack of diversity in Hollywood, it may come as a surprise that Zelda Wynn Valdes found great success as a celebrity fashion designer in the middle of the 20th century. Designing for black and white actresses alike, Valdes was, at one point, charging as much as $1,000 per creation. Her famous clients included Marlene Dietrich, Ella Fitzgerald, Mae West, and Josephine Baker. She famously created Marie Cole’s wedding dress for her marriage to Nat King Cole.
