The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture honored B Michael and his husband Mark-Anthony Edwards on July 9 for their gift of couture pieces that were worn by the late pioneering actress Cicely Tyson.
“It was as meaningful as it was beautiful,” the designer said Monday, during a joint interview with Edwards, who is chief executive officer of his namesake company. “You definitely do not come down from something like that. You decide what’s next. The euphoria will stay with us.”
Andrew Wright, president of Americas at Manolo Blahnik, toasted the designer for the gift that was made in honor of Tyson, who died at the age of 96 in 2021. Other guests included the museum’s Denise Robinson Simms, Valerie Simpson-Ashford, Anika Noni Rose, Adrienne Arsht, Kay Unger, Andrew Wright, Nick Laffan, Myrna Colley Lee, Dawn Porter, Chris Hyams, Suzanne and Norman Cohn, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, Amna Nawaz, Bridget Foley, and Melba Wilson. Representatives from other museums were on hand too including Laura Mart of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Laura Einstein of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kim Collins and Alexandra Deutsch of the Winterthur Museum, and Alex Delotch Davis of the Savannah College of Art and Design FASH Museum of Fashion and Film. Judith Curr of HaperOneGroup, which published B Michael’s “Muse: Cicely Tyson and Me — A Relationship Forged in Fashion” was also on hand.
The 17-piece trove that the designer gave included the dress Tyson wore when she became the first Black actress to receive an honorary Oscar at the 2018 Academy Awards, the hat that she donned for Aretha Franklin’s funeral that same year, and the purple frock she chose for her “Best Actress” win at the 2013 Tony Awards. Those were a few of the pieces that had been requested by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture that reflected some of the important experiences in her life.
The Smithsonian salute was doubly significant since in 2003, Tyson joined then-President George W. Bush and her fellow commission members when he signed the legislation that authorized the development of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Describing last week’s gala as “a full-circle experience,” B Michael said, “It’s almost like bringing the things back home, if you will, knowing that they will live beyond us, they will reach generations beyond us, and they will create a really beautiful narrative,” he said. “Even when Cicely was alive, that was paramount to her. It was always about making that kind of statement, having that kind of presence and for her to inspire people. That was always the mission dressing her.”
During her 70-year acting career, Tyson became known for her portrayals of strong Black women including her Oscar-nominated role as Rebecca Morgan in the 1972 film “Sounder,” which focused on a family of Black sharecroppers and their struggles. Tyson won two Emmys for her performance in the 1974 television drama “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” She also appeared in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries “Roots,” and portrayed Coretta Scott King in the 1978 series “King” and Harriet Tubman in the drama “A Woman Called Moses” that same year. More recently, Tyson appeared in “The Help” in 2011 and played in the Netflix thriller “A Fall From Grace” in 2020.
Alexander continued, “The one thing about Cicely was that she lived intentionally. It was her intention to make sure that her celebrity was not fleeting. You felt that when you walked around the school in New Jersey [intended for students in the performing and fine arts that is named for her.] This gift continues that inspiration. She has not only inspired B and I to make sure that we worked with purpose. That is also how she lived her life for other actors, young people and everyone she met.”
Tyson first connected with B Michael through another one of his clients, Susan Fales-Hill. Tyson asked the designer to create something for her to wear to Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball — five days before the event. Recalling their first meeting in his New York atelier, B Michael said, “Have you ever read the book ‘Blink: [The Power of Thinking Without Thinking’ by Malcolm Gladwell?] It addresses how sometimes, you instantly know there is a connection. You can’t define it. It’s not something that you sought out. You just feel it. We did have that blink.”
When a summer thunderstorm greeted guests as they arrived at the Smithsonian event, the designer considered that to be Tyson making her presence known in a “powerful way not a negative one.”
The candlelit seated dinner and the couture dresses on display belied some of the ugly behavior that Tyson faced as a Black woman. B Michael said, “The way we sometimes fight back and speak loudly against ugly behavior is through beauty and excellence to say this does not prevent us from being beautiful or excellent. To have a table that beautiful and guests of every creed to share that moment last Wednesday evening is exactly how you can retaliate against what’s ugly.”
A B Michael-designed dress for Cicely Tyson.
Photo Courtesy
The designer said that being honored reminded him of his family’s role in his life especially his paternal grandparents, who had achieved much success with “limited resources” and a third grade education. The designer said he was also thinking of his mother and his own daughters. “All of that is attached as a synergy,” he said. “I am speaking for Mark-Anthony, as well in terms of how his family instilled in him that you can be whatever you want to be. All of those things bring us to what we achieve.”
Looking ahead, the duo is exploring licensing opportunities across all categories including interiors for B Michael. In terms of fashion, developing a designer ready-to-wear collection for women who wear a size beyond 14 is at the top of their to-do list. Women ask about that prospect via social media on a daily basis, they said. “When you come from couture, I think in terms of measurements, not size. We want to do the same thing when licensing ready-to-wear,” B Michael said.
Another assignment is tied to a two-book deal with HarperOneGroup for the aforementioned “The Muse.” The designer has his own memoir to write as part of that agreement. He said, “It was great to have Judith Curr there last week. She also published Cicely’s book [Just as I Am: A Memoir.] That was a great thread that she shared as one of the speakers.”
