Those who knew Eunice W. Johnson, the matriarch of Johnson Publishing Company, said she would always be remembered as a trailblazer in the fashion industry. She died Sunday at age 93.
Those who knew Eunice W. Johnson, the matriarch of Johnson Publishing Company, said she would always be remembered as a trailblazer in the fashion industry. She died Sunday at age 93.
Johnson was the company’s longtime director of its Fashion Fair cosmetics division and served as the company’s secretary and treasurer. JPC publishes Ebony and Jet magazines.
JPC said, in a statement, “On behalf of the entire company, we are deeply saddened by the passing of Eunice W. Johnson. As a trailblazer in fashion, philanthropy and the arts, Mrs. Johnson has always been a woman ahead of her time. (She) made a tremendous impact on the fashion industry, showcasing in style on African American models. It was her sheer determination and astute business sense that helped pave the way for supermodels Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Iman, and Beverly Johnson.”
A fashion lover at an early age, Johnson studied interior decorating at the Ray-Vogue School of Design, now the Ray School of Design. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Talladega College in Alabama and a master’s in social work from Loyola University.
Eunice Johnson was preceded in death by her husband and JPC founder, John H. Johnson, who died in 2005. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Johnson-Rice, CEO of the family company.
At Defender press time, funeral arrangements were pending.
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