Beverly Johnson was the first black model to cover American Vogue on the 1974 August issue and French Elle a year later, becoming the first black model to cover both publications.

Beverly Johnson

Johnson got her start after landing a job with Glamour magazine, soon after her career begin to take off. Johnson signed with the Ford Modeling agency and was one of the highest paid models in the industry in a very short period of time.

She has walked the runway for such designers as Yves St. Laurent, Valentino, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. She has graced over 500 magazine covers throughout her career. After her appearance on the cover of Vogue, her look changed the ideal of beauty in fashion and by 1975, every major American Fashion Designer were in pursuit of African American models.

Vogue

French Elle

Johnson has done everything from books, t.v. and movies to starting own her line of wigs, and hair care products.

Johnson has been referred to as The Jackie Robinson of modeling.  The New York Times named her as one of the “20th Century’s 100 Most Influential People in the Fashion Industry.” She was featured on the cover of Glamour magazine’s 50th Anniversary issue, the well known publication that gave Beverly her first break in the 70s.

 In 2008, she received a Thurgood Marshall award for style and innovation, and in 2009, her historic Vogue magazine cover was featured in the “Models as Muse” exhibit at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

She is currently the star of her own reality series Beverly’s Full House on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which features supermodel Beverly Johnson and follows what happens when three generations of her family come together under one roof, which premieres Saturday, March 31st at 10/9c.

Beverly Johnson has helped open doors for other aspiring black models

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