Stephen Burrows was first taught to sew by his grandmother in Newark, NJ where he grew up. Initially studying to become an art educator at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, Burrows transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He began his career working with Andy Warhol and his crew at Max’s Kansas City and selling his designs at the O Boutique. His clothes rapidly gained popularity among the Studio 54 crowd as it captivated the glamour and electricity of the disco scene.Burrows eventually opened his own boutique, Stephen Burrows’ World, inside the Henri Bendel department store in 1968.
Burrows was the youngest of five American designers at the Battle of Versailles, a legendary fashion show that pitted them against the five most prominent French designers of the time in an effort to raise money for the restoration of the then dilapidated palace. The event was instrumental in establishing recognition for American fashion around the world. The event was also an important moment of exposure for black models, an unprecedented number of which graced the runway during the American show, including Stephen Burrows’ muse, Pat Cleveland.
Burrows’ signature was color-blocking, combining different fabrics and textures to create vibrant layered compositions. He invented the lettuce hem, a ruffled edge which added movement and three-dimensionality to his jersey creations. Stephen Burrows was the first African American designer to have gained such international acclaim, and was a key proponent of the ‘black is beautiful’ movement of the 60s. His designs embody the free-spirited and youthful environment of the 70s in New York.
