Meet the fashion icon and multitalented creative who calls the Upstate home.
She was the face of a revolutionary Vogue cover. She launched a global makeup import business and transformed sets on stage and costumes in cinema. She has designed, modeled, and sold countless pieces of couture fashion—and now she advocates for interdisciplinary artists worldwide.
Peggy Dillard-Toone is a force of nature.
“I’ve always kept my feet on the ground. I still keep my fingers in the dirt,” says Dillard-Toone, speaking to me post-gardening session from her home in Spartanburg, which she shares with husband Lloyd, an artist who makes work with an Afrocentric influence. After decades of fame in front of the camera, Dillard-Toone is now more often found behind the camera.
“I run a 501(c)(3) arts foundation called Blue Leaf International,” says the former model. “The name is inspired by the only plant in the world that grows blue leaves in the dark. So I like to feel like I’m looking for those rare artists that are not as visible, or get as much attention.” The business started out in their brownstone in Harlem nearly 40 years ago, and has evolved over time—but always with a focus on making art more accessible. “I like doing things not always by the so-called rules,” she adds, laughing.
A native of Greenville, Dillard-Toone credits her mother, Mary Dillard, for helping shape her character. “She would take me to work with her every day. She was the director of rec at the Mayberry Recreation Center, which is in the heart of [what is now] Unity Park, and she had custom sewing and upholstery clients. It was a major part of my coming of age because my mother taught me how to tailor clothes,” reflects Dillard-Toone, who went on to graduate early from Wade Hampton High School and move to New York, where she earned a scholarship to Pratt University due to her drafting skills and interest in architecture.
Peggy Dillard-Toone Views Fashion as Architecture
“To me, fashion was architectural. Cars were architectural. Music was architectural. Everything had this same structural approach,” says Dillard-Toone, who blossomed as a designer even as she was making her way to the catwalk. She was teaching classes at the Singer Sewing Center on Broadway, putting fashion shows together for her college’s Black student union, and working as a fashion illustrator when she walked into the Ralph Lauren store on Seventh Avenue and asked to borrow some clothes for a show. “He said, ‘Try this dress on.’ Next thing I know, I’m his showroom model,” she smiles.
A lifelong love of dance had gifted the artist a keen awareness of her body and how to move it—and once she started seeking more runway opportunities, she was embraced by fashion houses, including pioneers of Black fashion design like Scott Barrie and Stephen Burrows. It wasn’t long before her portfolio caught the attention of Vogue magazine.
“What made that cover so revolutionary was that I was photographed with an Afro,” reveals Dillard-Toone. “That wasn’t planned. When I showed up at the studio, the hairdresser said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve never done Black hair before.’” She poured olive oil on her hair and combed it out, and when the stylist saw her stunning natural look, he refused to do anything else to it—and, “that cover was the most they’d ever sold,” says Dillard-Toone. “People could relate to it, you know?”
The model moved to Harlem and continued to push fashion forward while launching multiple successful businesses off the runway. “I was the only high-fashion model to cross over into full-figure fashion,” adds Dillard-Toone, who was a size 12/14—and didn’t shy away from lingerie ads.
Decades later, the icon is still an inspiration to young women, and works one-on-one with models in her Piney Mountain photography studio. “I’m really focused on the disciplines and professions that women need to be seen in. We don’t just need more Black girls on the runway, we need to see more Black girls sitting at the table. I want to see all women internationally embraced for their visions.”
“There’s a big world out here, but I still feel like [the Upstate] is one of the best places to live,” insists Dillard-Toone. “I’ve never felt like I really left.”
To learn more about Dillard-Toone’s arts foundation and see its digital exhibition, go to blueleafinternationalarts.com.
