Donyale Luna is generally cited as the first Black supermodel for her groundbreaking 1966 cover of British Vogue, but Naomi Sims, who broke barriers on Ladies' Home Journal and Life covers in 1968-69, and Beverly Johnson, the first Black model on the American Vogue cover in 1974, are also pivotal figures who opened doors for Black models in high fashion.
Before becoming a renowned actress, Cicely Tyson began her career as a one of the earliest well-known Black models in fashion in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. 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.
DONYALE LUNA: The First Black Supermodel for Vogue. An often forgotten but extremely important story. Donyale struggled with her identity when American fashion and society decided she wasn't good enough because of her skin color.
Today, Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista, Patitz and Turlington are regarded as the "Original Supermodels", but the term has been used to describe the pioneering supermodels before them that paved the way and started the path to prominence, both publicly and professionally, such as Lauren Hutton, Beverly Johnson, Cheryl ...
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Who is the Highest-Paid Black Model? Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks are thought to be the richest black female supermodels . Their careers have spanned decades and they have branched out into other industries including music and TV.
How Alton Mason Became the World's Only Male Supermodel. In an industry that still treats many male models interchangeably, one has transcended mannequin status to reach the heights of the fashion world.
For a while this group of models were known as “the Big Five”, but the term slowly evolved to describe Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista, Turlington and Claudia Schiffer (who replaced Patitz). This became “the Big Six” when a young Kate Moss came onto the scene.
Carmen Dell'Orefice is glamour unparalleled. At 93 years old, she is oldest living and working supermodel of all time. Her iconic looks and signature silver coif redefine the term “ageless beauty.” Dell'Orefice began her career in modeling in 1946, garnering her first Vogue cover at the age of 15.
Nyakim Gatwech. This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 20 September 2025. Nyakim Gatwech (born January 27, 1993) is an Ethiopian-American model of South Sudanese descent. She has attracted attention for her dark skin color and has achieved significant popularity on Instagram.
November 1968, Naomi Sims was on the cover of Ladies Home Journal and almost a year later on the cover of Life, October 1969. Another point of reference: in the 70's, Beverly Johnson was the first Black model to be on the cover of Glamour, July 1971.
Pam Grier (1949 - ) Pam Grier overcame violence and racism to become an early African American action hero in films. Pamela Suzette Grier was born May 26, 1949 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Gwendolyn and Clarence Grier.
Some examples of idealized strong black women in today's society include Michelle Obama, Oprah, Beyonce, and Serena Williams. Although these women's attributes are regarded as the standard for how strong black women can achieve great success in society, they are outliers.
Born Freda Josephine MacDonald, Josephine Baker (June 3 1906- April 12 1975) was an African American entertainer who is often considered to be the first black superstar. She enjoyed relative success in 1922 as she began her career in the first all black Broadway musical, Shuffle Along.
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Twiggy(I) Twiggy is a top model of the late 1960s, who made skinny an "inny," along with other famous skinny models such as Jean Shrimpton ("The Shrimp"), Veruschka von Lehndorff, and Penelope Tree.
Casablancas is credited for developing the concept of supermodel in the popular culture, turning models into celebrities that were featured in mainstream media. He was also criticized for his habit of engaging in sexual activity with young and underage clients.
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Their talent, vision, and hard work have made them some of the wealthiest and most influential figures in the world. 🌍👑 1️⃣ Oprah Winfrey – $3.0 Billion The queen of media, Oprah Winfrey, remains unmatched with her billion-dollar empire built on television, film, publishing, and philanthropy.
Here is an original breakdown of the richest female models in the world as of January 2026.
Death. During the early morning hours of May 17, 1979, Donyale Luna died from a heroin overdose in a clinic in Rome at age 33. Luna was survived by her husband, Luigi Cazzaniga, and her 18-month-old daughter, Dream.