A dress probably attributed to Elizabeth Keckly which was worn by Mary Todd Lincoln from 1862-64. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The business of fashion has been dominated by men for centuries. But a new exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem is celebrating pioneering women who've influenced the industry's evolution. Among the more than 100 female designers represented is Elizabeth Keckly, a former enslaved person who — against a myriad of odds — went on to become Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker.
The exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum features an outfit designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri with a T-shirt, jacket and jeans from 2019. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)