Vogue cover black models12/6/2023 ![]() It might seem unlikely, but it may have been the nascent feminist movement, the idea that “sisters are doing it for themselves,” that emboldened the first models to make the leap from nameless beauties to full-fledged businesswomen. Because models often started so young, we could watch them as they developed into strong, interesting women with more to offer beyond surface appearance. Instead of disappearing after a brief career, models remained in the public consciousness for decades-not just segueing into acting (a traditional career path, starting at least with Lauren Bacall in 1943) but also building real businesses (Dorian Leigh started her own agency and a restaurant), heading up charities, or collaborating with fashion labels. ![]() But then a funny thing happened-as we got to know them better, they, in a sense, got to know us, too. ![]() So, infused with the spirit of openness that defined late-twentieth-century culture, we began to learn their stories, their histories and ambitions, and how their struggles and triumphs mirrored our own. We wanted to experience them in three dimensions, not just as vagaries staring out from a glossy backdrop. But we wanted to know more about these women who looked like our imaginary best selves. They were ethereal goddesses, staring out from these pages or gracing covers in wasp-waisted finery, sometimes pouting, sometimes aloof, otherworldly Truman Capote–esque swans who drifted into sight and then disappeared, to be replaced by other sylphlike creatures.
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