Beverly Johnson, Vogue, August 1974, 1974, Francesco Scavullo, photomechanical reproduction
© Condé Nast / Vogue, August 1, 1974
Transcript
MALE NARRATOR: When Beverly Johnson appeared on the cover of Vogue in 1974, it launched her into superstardom.
[upbeat rhythmic music evoking period and mood]
PATTY SICULAR: Everyone wants to be on the cover of Vogue. That’s the pinnacle of a career; that’s the top. That’s what everybody would love.
MALE NARRATOR: Johnson made history as the first African American model to be featured on the cover of American Vogue.
PATTY SICULAR: And back then, people weren’t guaranteed covers.
MALE NARRATOR: Patty Sicular is the Co-Director of Iconic Focus Models which currently represents Beverly Johnson.
PATTY SICULAR: What they would do is they’d pick maybe six models, maybe pick six different outfits and it was called a “cover try.” So they would put you in six different outfits and take the pictures and then they’d just look at all the models, all the pictures, and they would choose their cover. She was the most beautiful model out of all of them, and that’s why she was chosen.
[music ends]
NARRATOR: Johnson’s appearance on the cover of Vogue helped to change beauty ideals in American fashion. Within a year, every major American fashion designer was using African American models. This portrait by Francesco Scavullo presented a new standard for the "American beauty" who is elegant, relatable, and represented diversity.
[upbeat rhythmic music evoking period and mood]
PATTY SICULAR: That’s a beautiful cover. She looks so fresh and dewy and just fabulous. And you know, a lot of models, they’re of their era and they were beautiful for their decade. They usually have like a decade or so but they don’t go well from era to era and the pictures look dated. But this picture looks so fresh. It looks like it could’ve been taken yesterday and seen on the current Vogue cover. I think she’s a timeless beauty.
[music ends]