25 Black Models Who Shaped Fashion History

by salonwithoutwalls | Feb 28, 2021 | Fashion

25 Black Models Who Shaped Fashion History

From Pat Cleveland to Precious Lee, L’OFFICIEL looks back at the trailblazing Black models who have made an impact on fashion.

Designer Patrick Kelly with models Iman, Grace Jones, and Naomi Campbell.

From the rise of fashion media from the mid-20th century to present, the industry has continually been a place to grow in terms of inclusivity. For many years, modeling agencies, designers, and editors tended to look for one body type and skin color, but over the years, there have been a number of major Black figures who have shifted the industry’s status quo.

While now world-renowned supermodels, Naomi Campbell and Iman broke barriers and catwalked their way to diversifying the industry, paving the (run)way for a younger generation of models like Joan Smalls and Winnie Harlow to thrive today. Meanwhile, Beverly Johnson and Tyra Banks made history as the first Black models to grace the covers of major magazines, and haute couture model Mounia became Yves Saint Laurent’s first Black muse.

This Black History Month, L’OFFICIEL pays homage to 25 Black models who helped shape (and slay) the fashion industry as we know it today.

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Before becoming a renowned actress, Cicely Tyson began her career as a model in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

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Widely credited as the first African American supermodel, Naomi Sims started modeling in the ‘60s and was one of the first to sign to Wilhelmina Models.

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Detroit-born model Donyale Luna was one of Andy Warhol’s “Superstars” in the ’60s, appearing in several of his films, in addition to having a successful editorial and runway career.

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Bethann Hardison was a major supermodel in the ’60s and ’70s, working for Ford Models. She became a modeling scout and discovered fellow superstar Naomi Campbell.

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Pat Cleveland was discovered at age 14 and went on to become a Halstonette in the 1970s. Tired of the racism she experienced in the American fashion industry, Cleveland moved to Paris and said she wouldn’t return to the U.S. until a Black model made it on the cover of “Vogue.” She upheld that promise and only moved back after Beverly Johnson earned the cover in 1974.

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Along with Pat Cleveland, Billie Blair was one of the Black models who walked at the famous Battle of Versailles fashion show in 1973. The model was successful throughout the ’70s and ’80s.

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Beverly Johnson set several firsts in her career as a Black model. In addition to landing the “Vogue” cover, she was also the first Black woman on the cover of French “Elle.”

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Known for outrageous, avant-garde personal style, the Jamaican singer, actress, and model Grace Jones was one of the first Black women in the fashion business, where she modeled in Paris for designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Alaïa, before appearing on numerous magazine covers.

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Sudanese-British Alek Wek was discovered in the Crystal Palace outdoor market in London when she was 18 years old, and gained exposure when she starred in Tina Turner’s “GoldenEye” music video.

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Beverly Peele started off in the industry at the tender age of eleven and was walking runway shows by the time she was 12 years old. She had landed her first cover, at Mademoiselle, by age 14, and racked up a number of high fashion jobs in the ’80s and ’90s.

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Former fashion model turned television journalist Gail O’Neill was considered one of the top African American models in the world when she graced the covers of leading fashion magazines and got a spot in the highly publicized “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Issue.

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New Jersey native Karen Alexander began her career when she was 16 years old, visiting multiple modeling agencies in New York. Deemed “unphotogenic” or too “commercial” or not enough by many agencies, it wasn’t until she came across Legends Agency that she was finally signed and could begin her career as a model.

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An artist from Martinique, Mounia became Yves Saint Laurent’s muse and the first Black model to walk in his Haute Couture shows.

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Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Tracey Africa was the first African American trans model to achieve prominence in the fashion industry.

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One of the best-known Black models worldwide, Somali-born Iman was discovered while in university by photographer Pete Beard in 1975.

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Veronica Webb was discovered in the mid-‘80s, and upon signing on as a spokesmodel with Revlon, she became the first Black model to win a major cosmetics contract.

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Perhaps the most famous Black supermodel, Naomi Campbell was officially discovered at age 15 while shopping in London, though she had appeared in a Bob Marley music video as a child. After she was scouted, she became a top supermodel of the late ’80s and ’90s, and remains a major figure in the industry today.

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Tyra Banks started modeling at age 15, and was signed to Elite Model Management at 16. She was the first Black woman to cover both “GQ” and the “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Issue.

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Best known as a Ralph Lauren Polo model, Tyson Beckford has been described as one of the most successful Black male supermodels of all time, achieving fame and huge contracts similar to the female models that had success in the 1990s.

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Liya Kebede was spotted by a film director while attending school in Addis Ababa and started out walking for Tom Ford at Gucci in 2000. In addition to her modeling work, Kebede is a maternal health activist.

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Joan Smalls came onto the scene in 2007, when she finished college and was immediately signed by Elite Model Management. She became an industry fixture when she was signed exclusively by Givenchy for Riccardo Tisci’s haute couture show for Spring/Summer 2010.

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Winnie Harlow first gained prominence in 2014 as a contestant on the 21st cycle of the “America’s Next Top Model.” Since then the Canadian has been a role model for other Black girls and those with the skin condition vitiligo, as she’s dominated runways and editorials.

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In 2018, L’OFFICIEL star Alton Mason became the first Black male model to walk a Chanel runway. Here, he’s photographed by Cass Bird for L’OFFICIEL’s Global September 2020 issue.

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South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech made her fashion week runway debut as an exclusive in the Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2017 show and has become a prominent face on the runways of Valentino, Versace, Burberry, and many more top designers.

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Precious Lee is a trailblazer for Black curve models in the fashion world, having made a splash at Versace’s Spring/Summer 2021 show last year and becoming the first African American curve model in “Vogue.” She’s outspoken in her activism for making fashion a more inclusive space for all races and sizes.

by Alice Cavallo

L’OFFICIEL

25 Black Models Who Shaped Fashion History

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