Spelman College alumna and fashion designer Annie Moore celebrated her 107th birthday Sunday, September 20, with a Paris-themed celebration at A.G. Rhodes in Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood.
FOX 5 reported that fellow Spelman alumnae joined A.G. Rhodes staff for the celebration, honoring a career that took Moore from Atlanta to New York, Paris and Detroit.
From Spelman to a fashion house in Detroit
Moore was born September 20, 1919, in Florida and graduated from Spelman in 1943 with a degree in economics. She later studied fashion at New York’s Traphagen School of Design and Fashion and at École Guerre-Lavigne in Paris.
She eventually opened the Ann Moore Couturiere House in Detroit, operating her own fashion business for about two decades. A.G. Rhodes says her clients included socialites, entrepreneurs and spouses of local professionals.
Moore has spoken about entering fashion at a time when Black designers faced limited opportunities. She has credited determination, creativity and faith with helping her build a career despite discrimination.
Atlanta institutions have preserved her work
The Atlanta History Center has previously displayed Moore’s designs through its Rountree Visual Vault, preserving pieces from a career that spanned couture, community service and fashion education.
Sunday’s party returned to one of the places that shaped her story: Paris. Organizers have not announced another public birthday event this week, but the milestone adds another chapter to Moore’s long connection with Spelman and Atlanta.
