Supermodel Beverly Johnson says a five-star hotel once drained its pool that she swam in because she was Black… as she talks facing racism in her fashion career
Supermodel Beverly Johnson is speaking out on the racism she has suffered in the fashion industry, and her life, in a frank new essay.
Beverly, 67, has written a wide-ranging piece about race in PEOPLE Magazine revealing that she first experienced racism when she was ’12 or 13′ as white neighborhood kids threw bottles and yelled the N-word at her when she would ride her bike. (Beverly grew up in Buffalo, New York.)
The racism continued into her pioneering modelling career – where she became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Vogue Magazine in 1974 – and says that there is still much more change to be addressed in the fashion world today.
Struggle: Beverly Johnson, 67, explains in People Magazine in a wide-ranging article that a five-star hotel once drained its pool that she swam in because she was Black
Beverly – who said she was ‘the only Black girl on every shoot – recalls one incident in the ’70s where she modeled at a five-star hotel and got into the swimming pool as part of the shoot.
‘All of a sudden, the editor came out and made everybody get out,’ she explained. ‘They drained the pool. Twenty years later, one of the model told me it was because of me. But I had blocked it out. In order to survive, I would make myself not react. Like Teflon.’
The legendary supermodel also explained the struggle of having no Black makeup artists or hairstylists, saying ‘They had no idea what to do with my hair. So I’d go to the bathroom and wet my hair or slick it back with Vaseline and put it in a chignon.’
Icon: The pioneering model said she ‘blocked out’ the horrific incident with the swimming pool in order to ‘survive’
Thankfully, Beverly was able to recommend the Black makeup artist Joey Mills, noting that the editor of the shoot was astonished she was able to find someone.
She explained: ‘He was extraordinary and went to do makeup for women of many skin tones. You have to have champions.’
Last month, Beverly’s former publicist accused Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour of being rude to his supermodel client, adding how hard he had to work to score his client an invite to Vogue’s 100th anniversary party in 1992.
Hester said that Johnson was nearly snubbed at the 1992 bash, in an interview with PageSix.
‘Beverly made history as the first African American model to grace the cover of Vogue and they refused to invite her,’ he said.
Breaking barriers: Johnson was the first black model to cover the magazine, in 1975
‘It was a momentous occasion and obviously a huge moment in Beverly’s life. They kept saying, “We’ll get back to you.” So, I had to get creative.
‘I was working with C&C Music Factory and they were huge at the time, producing for Mariah Carey. I made a deal that they would DJ for free and [Deeper Love] singer Deborah Cooper would perform in exchange for coverage in the magazine.
‘Anna Wintour gets the message, and I deliver them. I go back and I make another deal and said, Beverly Johnson would really love to be invited, and they finally agreed.’
Once at the event, he said he approached Wintour to tell her that he organized the music, and then tried unsuccessfully to introduce her to Johnson.
‘I then asked, “Do you know Beverly Johnson?” She said, “Yup,” and walked away,’ he said.