Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion Hardcover Abrams Books Shop Online

Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion Hardcover

The first-ever art book celebrating black models, filled with revealing essays, interviews, and stunning photographs 

To date, there has never been an art book devoted exclusively to black models. Supreme Models fills that void, paying tribute to black models past and present: from the first to be featured in catalogs and on magazine covers, like Iman, Beverly Johnson, and Donyale Luna, to the supermodels who reigned in the nineties–Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. The book also observes the newest generation of models–Adwoa Aboah, Jourdan Dunn, and Joan Smalls–who are shaking up the fashion industry by speaking out about racial prejudice and becoming social media sensations. 

Written by celebrity stylist and journalist Marcellas Reynolds, Supreme Models features more than 70 women from the last 75 years. The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of the women, and details their most memorable covers, campaigns, runway shows, and editorials. Black models have been influencing fashion and pop culture for decades, reshaping the standards and boundaries of beauty. Supreme Models is a celebration of their monumental impact.

I wrote Supreme Models as a way to tell the stories of so many women whose careers and lives have inspired me and countless others. We have seen their pictures and perhaps heard the stories of their discoveries. Everyone knows how Iman, Naomi, and Tyra became one-name phenomena, but what about top models Karen Alexander, Lana Ogilvie, and Roshumba Williams, or the new supers, like Adut Akech, Dilone, and Mayowa Nicholas? This book isn’t just beautiful pictures of beautiful women. I hope Supreme Models gives the reader some insight into the determination and sacrifice it took each of the women highlighted here to succeed in fashion and life. One thing I learned while interviewing these extraordinary women is that there is no testimony without a test. Modeling isn’t easy. Like my friend, Veronica Webb writes in the foreword, “Modeling is hard work. There’s a lot of suffering involved in being a successful model.” Often, we only see the result, which is a perfect photo, or perhaps a flawless turn on the runway. I hope that everyone who reads this book learns something about the models included within–and more about the businesses of fashion and modeling. But what I want most is for Supreme Models to be a source for the little boys and girls, who, like my childhood self, need to see themselves represented in a positive light. — Marcellas Reynolds