Life Magazine: Black Models Take Center Stage
About a year ago, I was in New York City and came across a little vintage pop up shop. Unfortunately, I did not grab the name or a business card but I did manage to get a LIFE Magazine from 1969 with Naomi Sims on the cover. LIFE Magazine cover story October of 1969 explored a change that was coming in the fashion business: women of color were not invisible anymore as models but they were also taking charge. The article explores why it is important for diversity in the fashion industry, honestly very important in any industry.
The cover story introduces 4 of the top Black Models during 1969. These ladies were trailblazers in the fashion and modeling industry, creating spaces were black models were no longer invisible.
Charlene Dash 20 at the time, was signed by the Ford Model Agency, which was one of the most prestigious and was a top money maker for its black models, said LIFE. At the time, Charlene was one of the ‘lighter-skinned’ models and, this had an influence on the jobs she was able to get. Dash is also known and honored for being featured in The Battle of the Versailles Fashion show held in 1973 in the Palace of Versailles.
Naomi recalls, “because I was darker and taller, people noticed me and began to call my agency.” She became a superstar instantly because she was admired for her high fashion look, said LIFE Magazine. Major modeling agencies told her that her skin was too dark, but Sims did not let that stop her from chasing after her dreams. Sims retired from modeling in 1973 to start her own business. She created a successful wig collection that led into a multimillion-dollar beauty empire, including books on modeling and beauty.
Princess Elizabeth of the Toro Kingdom. She’s a Princess and a Model. Toro is a Ugandan lawyer, politician, and actress. Elizabeth decided to leave law for modeling. Between 1968 and 1970, she took her modeling career to New York, where she signed with the Ford Agency, the top modeling agency at the time. The 1968 summer issue of Vogue had a spread dedicated to her. The June 1969 edition of Vogue featured her and, in November of the same year, Toro made history by becoming the first black model and the first African to feature on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.
Tamara Dobson signed with an agency on her first day in New York and landed a big job quickly. She was 6 feet tall and didn’t care much about clothes. Introduced to Richard Avedon, he then photographed Tamara at Vogue after graduating from the Art Institute. She appeared in magazines, including Vogue, Essence, and Ads for Chanel and Revlon. Dobson is known for her roles in the films Cleopatra Jones (1973) and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975).
Original caption: “Professional model Gloria Smith wears the crown in which she was acclaimed winner of the 1969 Miss Black America contest in Madison Square Garden.”
Original caption: “You see before you what may well be the most persuasive demonstration of successful black power ever assembled. If these 39 models, employed by a new agency called Black Beauty were to all work an eight-hour day, their combined bill would be $16,000.”
“Until 1945 virtually no black faces appeared in ads, except for Aunt Jemima. Then they began to appear regularly in black publication Ebony but only to tout such products as bleaches and hair straighteners.”
-LIFE MAGAZINE
