Beverly Johnson

Beverly Johnson on American Vogue, August 1974 The milestone most people mean when they talk about Black models and Vogue. Johnson's August 1974 cover, shot by Francesco Scavullo, made her the first Black woman on the cover of American Vogue, and she went on to become the first Black woman to appear solo on the cover of French Elle, a cover dated 1975 in some accounts and 1977 in others. Two firsts at two of the most influential titles within a few years turned her from a single breakthrough into proof of demand, and made it harder for editors to treat the 1974 cover as a one-off.