Pat Cleveland was one of the first black supermodels to gain prominence as a runway and print model. Cleveland was born in New York City on June 23, 1952, to father Johnny Johnston a white jazz saxophonist, and her mother Ladybird, a painter who was of African American and Native American descent. Cleveland attended LaGuardia High School of Art and Design, where her first love was fashion. By the age of fourteen, she was designing and wearing her own cr[...]
“I was insecure. I was a dark-skinned girl and extra skinny. I never, ever imagined it. I wanted it, but I never imagined it.” People were always telling Riley that she should be a nurse, “you’ll always have a job in nursing” they would say. After earning an associate's degree in nursing, Riley knew a career in the medical field wasn’t for her, especially since she disliked blood. Soon Riley moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling. In her first year and a half in L.A., she wor[...]