Supreme Force

I was discovered waiting tables in a restaurant by Marie Anderson. Marie is famous for starting the careers of Cindy Crawford, Matt King, the Riker brothers, and so many other models. My career took off very quickly. Soon I was traveling all over the world, working for clients like Brioni, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nautica.

Fashion for me was life. Modeling was a crash course in sophistication. I met so many incredible people and had once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I actually thought I'd become an agent, but I fell into fashion styling.

I was always the best-dressed model and I'd dress for the casting. Does Nautica want to see me? I'm giving you my take on Americana-meets-sport. Often at castings or bookings, clients would say, "I wish you could wear what you're wearing!" I became known for my personal style.

So, when modeling slowed down, I became a stylist. I was happily working my way up the ladder shooting editorials for fashion magazines. But when your first gig styling is a cover and eight pages for British Vogue, everything is lateral! (Laughs)

However, the business changed. I never wanted to style celebrities. Celebrities killed fashion. It became less about creating a beautiful image with a model and a team that wanted to make art, and more about what project an actress is pushing. I'm just not interested in that. I want an exciting model who moves, and pushes it, bringing the clothes to LIFE! That's fashion.

As you can tell, I love models. There is something fragile, ephemeral, and sad about a model.

It's a love letter to all these incredible models that did it! They broke through, made an impact, and had a major moment. You can't predict who it's going to happen to or why! I wanted to celebrate that because it's difficult for Black models. When a model of color breaks through, it's momentous.

I knew I wanted "supreme" in the title because it's a play on "super." Not all the girls in the book are supers. There are only 10, maybe 15 models in the world of any race that deserve that title, and only two are Black: Naomi and Tyra. My title was always Supreme: Black Models. Well, the president of Abrams has the final say on the title. He took my idea and added his twist, and it was perfect. The title says it all!

Donyale Luna! She was the first model of color on the cover of British Vogue, in 1966. That's eight years before Beverly Johnson appeared on the cover of American Vogue. She was also the first Black model on the cover of American Harper's Bazaar, in 1965.

Bethann Hardison's contribution to fashion cannot be measured. She was a prolific runway model in the late sixties and early seventies. She was one of the trailblazing models who appeared at the Battle of Versailles. She became an agent, and her New York agency, Bethann Management, is legendary. She's in part responsible for the careers of Tyson Beckford, Veronica Webb, and Roshumba Williams.

Kersti Bowser, Tomiko Fraser Hines, Jolie Jones, Naomi Sims... There are so many! Get the book!

Black models have always gotten recognition within the fashion industry, but remember, fashion is very cliquish. Fashion has its own mystique. But that's changed a bit thanks to the internet and Instagram. The public wants the tea!

People have always wanted to see themselves represented beautifully. They want to know the history too. They want it documented by us, in our voices, that we were there! We persevered. We flourished. We triumphed.

I'm in talks to sell Supreme Models as a documentary. Several production companies are interested in it as source material for a show or a movie. Right now, during this time of social distancing, I'm writing my second book. I'm super excited about it!

I've found my voice. I want to be an advocate for models. I want to be an advocate for Black models, to make sure that they are treated fairly on set. I also want to be an advocate for freelancers. It's unconscionable that models, hair and makeup artists, photographers, stylists, and so many others have to wait 30, 60, 90 or even 120 days to be paid by multi-million-dollar companies!