Dorothea Towles Church found work as a model appearing in Black publications and fashion shows on the West Coast. While attending her sister’s European choir tour in Paris, while on a two month vacation, Church was hired by fashion designer, Christian Dior, to stand in for one of his models and the rest was history. During the early 1950s, Church would stay in France as a model in demand, design her own couture line and be one of a few to set the trend on Black models in Europe.
Helen Williams is another model who found success in Europe in the 1960s. She initially found work modeling for Black publications like Jet and Ebony earlier in her career but faced racial prejudice from her own as she was often told she was too dark. Paris, France openly accepted her and she found success modeling for Christian Dior and Jean Dessès. She returned to the U.S., and with the help of press, opened more doors. Williams booked a number of ads for brands such as Budweiser, Loom Togs and Modess, which crossed over for the first time into the mainstream press, in titles such as The New York Times, Life and Redbook.
Born Peggy Ann Freeman, Donyale Luna made strides in modeling in Europe that would set the stage for future models. She was discovered by a photographer, which would be the catalyst for her modeling career. Luna is the first African American to appear on the cover of British Vogue in 1966. She was one of the top models in Europe during her time and could be seen in Harper’s Bazaar, Paris Match, Britain’s Queen, the British, French and American Vogue.
Born Monique-Antoine, Mounia was the Black model to be in the 1970s. The French-Caribbean islander worked at an airport in Fort-de-France as an announcer and as an on-ground hostess at Orly airport in Paris. She would later be hired to model for Givenchy. After a racial incident, Mounia went to work with designers such as Emanuel Ungaro & Karl Lagerfeld. When Lagerfield took over Chanel, he hired Mounia and she became the first black model to present the Chanel collection. She was also the first black model Yves Saint Laurent used in his haute couture shows and considered his favorite model.
Beverly Johnson continued the stride that those before her had laid and opened even more doors in the 1970s. Originally planning to pursue law, she decided to pursue modeling. She got a modeling job at Glamour and would go on to appear on 500 magazine covers including her groundbreaking American Vogue cover being the first African American to appear on the publication. Johnson’s appearance on American Vogue changed the course of the fashion industry in the mid-1970’s and onward, opening doors even wider for Black models.
Renauld White was one of a few Black male models that would set the bar and open doors for Black men in the fashion industry. He started his trek by demanding for more Black representation in the modeling industry in the late 1970s. He would be hired by Wilhemina and begin breaking barriers. White was the first African American to appear on GQ magazine in 1979. He would also score major campaigns with Black Tie cologne, Vitalis, and Arrows Shirts. White was also the first black male model to work the runways for Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren. His success would also continue in Europe, where he walked for Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Cerutti, Valentino, Armani, and Versace.
Charles Williamson was a popular male supermodel in the 1980s. He was known for being tall, slender and good-looking. Williamson had one of the biggest tenures of any Ebony Fashion Fair model in history. He was also known for being smooth on the runway, with a confident strut and manner. At one time, he was one of the highest earning black male models around.
Tyra Banks would do her predecessors proud as she continued to show that Black models did it best. She started modeling at the age of 15 and faced numerous rejections before being hired at L.A. Models and later moving to Elite Model Management. Her early career would see her on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Teen Vogue and Vogue. Banks has walked the runways for Chanel, Valentino, Fendi and others, been featured in advertising campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Nike. She was the first African American woman to appear on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the 1990’s. She was also the first-ever African American chosen for the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalog. Banks is one of the most successful models to transition from high fashion to commercial modeling.
Tyson Beckford’s exotic good looks have landed him on numerous lists and magazines in the 1990s into the 2000’s. He was discovered in New York and recruited by a talent scout for hip hop magazine, The Source in the early 1990s. In 1993, Beckford was recruited by Ralph Lauren as the front model for his Polo line of male sportswear. By 1995, he was on the covers of major magazines such as Paper, Essence and multiple-page spreads in Vogue, GQ, the New York Times and Details. Beckford is also said to be one of the highest paid male models of all time.
Shaun Ross is a first because of his unique appearance being the first, African American albino model. He has been featured in editorial campaigns for major fashion publications including British GQ, Italian Vogue, i-D Magazine, Paper Magazine and Another Man. Ross has also modeled for Alexander McQueen and Givenchy.
