1910-1999
Emily Miles was a fashion designer. Known for her hats and for frequent fashion shows in Newark. Born Emma Rollins in Tennessee, she graduated Central High in Aug 1929 and Howard University, and various fashion schools.
In 1952, she won the Paper Dress Ball sponsored by the Newark NAACP.
After graduating from school in New York Miles bought a 22 room mansion in Newark on 803 South 10th Street, and opened “Belle Meade Charm School”. The Charm School trained more than 1,000 women and girls including Whitney Houston, and was open for almost fifty years.
She hosted annual shows in Newark, including one with Ella Fitzgerald in 1962.
Bibliography
Wikipedia page created by NewarkWomen
“History of Queer Club Spaces in Newark | Queer Newark”‘
Kukla, Barbara. Defying the Odds: Triumphant Black Women of Newark
Newark Library Digitized Items. (2)
Tabourne, Dorothy, “Designer Began As a Girl With Dolls” Newark News Oct 1, 1963
Stewart, Nikita (14 Jun 1999). “Emily Miles, Newark’s First Lady of Fashion, 88”. Star Ledger.
Aug 1929 Central High Yearbook
Image from: Newark Library.
Crisis, Feb 1952: https://books.google.com/books?id=E1wEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22emily+miles%22+newark&pg=PA111#v=onepage&q=%22emily%20miles%22%20newark&f=false