by Tim Gordon
Fifty years ago, on October 8, 1975, Mahogany arrived in theaters and gave the world another unforgettable chapter in the legend of Diana Ross. Directed by Berry Gordy and co-starring Billy Dee Williams, the film followed their iconic pairing in Lady Sings the Blues and transformed what could have been a simple romantic drama into something far more ambitious. Mahogany was a visual and emotional statement about style, success, and the power of self-definition.
Before Mahogany, Ross had already spent years mastering the art of image-making. As the leader of The Supremes, she turned elegance into an act of revolution. From the perfectly coiffed hair and sequined gowns to the poise and precision of their performances, The Supremes gave a new face to Black glamour and sophistication. That aesthetic sensibility became an essential part of who Ross was. She understood that what you wear can tell a story about who you are and who you aspire to be.
In Mahogany, Ross took full control of that story. She didn’t just star in the film; she designed it, literally. Persuading Berry Gordy to let her create her own wardrobe, she designed more than 50 looks for her character, Tracy Chambers, over the course of eight months. Her designs chart Tracy’s journey from a working-class student in Chicago to an international fashion star in Rome. The transformation is told not just through dialogue or setting, but through what she wears: the colors, the textures, the drama of every line and silhouette. Each outfit reveals another layer of Tracy’s evolution.
Ross’s designs were born from her own lifelong love of fashion. Long before the spotlight, she had studied design, sketched clothes, and learned sewing from her mother, a talented seamstress. When she finally stepped into the world of Mahogany, she brought those early dreams to life on a cinematic scale. Working with Princess Irene Galitzine and wardrobe coordinator Susan Gertsman, Ross created an on-screen world that was extravagant, emotional, and unlike anything audiences had seen before.
The result was fashion as storytelling. The looks are as iconic as the film itself, the sculptural gowns, bold hats, glowing fabrics, and that unforgettable dragon dress. Together, they capture the essence of Tracy’s ambition, her rebellion, and her struggle to define success on her own terms. The film’s visual language, equal parts glamour, camp, and high drama, reflects a woman who refuses to be limited by her circumstances. In the same way that Lady Sings the Blues gave voice to Billie Holiday’s pain and artistry, Mahogany gave form to the complexity of Black womanhood in an industry and a society not built to contain it.
What makes Mahogany endure, beyond its beauty, is its honesty about the price of ambition. It’s a story about a woman who dreams big, reaches the top, and learns the meaning of fulfillment and sacrifice. It’s a famous question, “Do you know where you’re going to?” still resonates, not only as a song but as a reflection on how success and happiness often exist in tension. The film’s Oscar-nominated theme became an anthem for anyone who’s ever dared to chase something bigger than themselves.
Half a century later, Mahogany remains a touchstone of style and substance. Its influence runs through generations of artists and designers, from RuPaul to Beyoncé, each of whom has drawn inspiration from Ross’s fearless vision. The film’s aesthetic continues to shape fashion photography, music videos, and the larger language of pop culture. But more than that, it represents Diana Ross at her most powerful as a performer, a designer, and a visionary.
What she accomplished in Mahogany was more than a performance. It was a declaration of independence. She showed that a Black woman could define her own image, create her own art, and command every facet of her story. That is why Mahogany still matters fifty years later. It is not just a film about dreams. It is proof that with imagination, courage, and conviction, you can design the life you want and make it beautiful.