Johnson Publishing Company, LLC

Personal Care Product ManufacturingIllinois, United States51-200 Employees

FASHION FAIR is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson Publishing Company, LLC and was created for women of color by the late Eunice W. Johnson, the creator of the Ebony Fashion Fair show.  As pioneering businesswomen, Johnson took the risk that most major cosmetic companies refused to take by entering the untapped market of makeup for women of color.

The journey to becoming the largest Black-owned cosmetics company in the world began when Johnson noticed models, in the Ebony Fashion Fair Show were mixing foundations to create the right blend to match their hues. Initially she approached existing cosmetics companies and urged them to create a line to meet the specific needs of women of color. Unfortunately, this request was met with great resistance. 

Mrs. Johnson and her late husband John H. Johnson, publisher of Ebony and Jet magazine, went to a private lab that developed formulas out of the mixtures the models created. After successfully applying this makeup on the models in the fashion show, the Johnsons produced The Capsule Collection, a mail-order package in 1969. Based on the overwhelming response, it was clear there was a demand for a Black cosmetics line. 

Fashion Fair Cosmetics was born in 1973, named after the fashion show that inspired it. With its feminine pink packaging and a wide range of shades, Fashion Fair Cosmetics was strategically marketed in high-end department stores. The line continued to expand by introducing skin care, fragrance and hair care products that addressed Black women's needs. 

A trusted brand by many, Fashion Fair Cosmetics remains deeply rooted in the African-American experience. The line can be found in fine stores across the United States as well as in Canada, UK, France, Africa and the Caribbean. 

Almost 40 years after the first counter opened, Fashion Fair Cosmetics continues to pursue it’s vision to become the preeminent global company that women of color trust to help them look and feel beautiful.

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