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Born in Little Rock, Arkansas,
Alexander always had a love for fashion. That devotion and the desire to teach
Black youths the techniques for entering the garment industry have led to
her involvement in many fashion enterprises over the years. As a graduate
of Virginia's Hampton Institute and having earned her master's degree in retailing,
fashion and merchandising from New York University, she laid a strong foundation
for her pioneering spirit. Influenced by the life and commitment of Sojourner
Truth, Mrs. Alexander, selected the present BFM site, 2007
Vermont Avenue, NW in Washington, DC, because it was formerly the
Sojourner Truth Home for Women and Girls and its recognition
by the National Park Service as a possible Underground Railroad
site. To highlight her community involvement, Alexander worked with
and considered Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune her mentor.
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Among
her many accomplishments, Alexander was named by the business magazine,
Dollars and Sense, as one of 1985's top 100 Business and Professional
Women in the United States. She holds a number of distinguished citations,
including the Josephine Shaw Lowell Award, Kobrand Corporation's Tattinger
Champagne Fashion Award, the New York Urban League's Frederick Douglass
Award, and a certificate of recognition from the City Council of Detroit.
A longtime Harlem, New York resident, Alexander was also a board member
of the Uptown Chamber of Commerce. Tributes to Lois Alexander Lane were
held at the Schomberg Center of New York City, July 1998 and the Design
Center of Washington, DC, October 1998.
