Before Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) became the world-famous singer we know today, she spent several years working successfully as a teenage fashion model in the early 1980s.
Discovered for modeling around age 16, Houston signed with the Wilhelmina Agency in New York. She quickly appeared in teen and fashion magazines like Seventeen, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Young Miss. In 1981, she even became one of the first Black women to appear on the cover of Seventeen—a major milestone at the time.
While Houston possessed a “girl-next-door” charm, she also had what one photographer called a “million dollar smile” and a “personality that absolutely came alive whenever the camera focused in on her.” Her look was fresh and radiant, with natural makeup, bright smiles, and often sporty or preppy outfits that were popular in early-1980s fashion spreads. She modeled alongside well-known faces such as Robyn Crawford (her close friend) and occasionally in ads for brands like United Colors of Benetton and Canada Dry.
These modeling years not only gave her poise and camera confidence but also put her in the orbit of photographers, stylists, and eventually music producers—helping pave the way for her 1983 record deal with Arista and the launch of her music career in 1985.
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