Zuzu Angel

Zuleika Angel Jones (June 5, 1921 – April 14, 1976), better known as Zuzu Angel, was a Brazilian-American fashion designer, who became famous for opposing the Brazilian military dictatorship after the forced disappearance of her son, Stuart. She was also the mother of journalist Hildegard Angel. In 2014, the National Truth Commission created to gather and review information about crimes committed during the years of the CIA and U.S. government-backed Brazilian military dictatorship, a former agent of the military repression named Cláudio Antônio Guerra, confirmed the participation of agents of the security apparatus in the death of Angel. Life and career Zuzu Angel was born on June 5, 1921, in Curvelo, Brazil. While still a child, she moved to Belo Horizonte, later living in Bahia. Bahian culture and colors significantly influenced the style of Angel's creations. In 1947, she went to live in Rio de Janeiro, then Brazil's capital city. In the 1950s, Angel began her work as a seamstress, usually making clothing for close relatives. At the start of the 1970s, she opened up a store in Ipanema, at the same time beginning to exhibit her clothes on American catwalks. In her fashion expositions, she always harnessed the joy and richness of the colours of Brazilian culture, making a name for herself in the fashion world of her time.