Naomi Sims: One of the First African-American Supermodels ~ Vintage Everyday

Born 1948 in Oxford, Mississippi, American model, businesswoman and author Naomi Sims became one of the first successful black models while still in her teens, and achieved worldwide recognition from the late 1960s into the early 1970s, appearing in popular fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vogue Italia, and Cosmopolitan. She also frequently collaborated with photographers Anthony Barboza, Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, Irving Penn, and William Helburn and Berry Berenson.

Naomi Sims, photo Yale Joel, 1974

By 1972, Hollywood took an interest in Sims as a potential actress and offered her the title role in the movie Cleopatra Jones, but when Sims read the script, she was appalled by the racist portrayal of blacks in the movie and turned it down. Sims ultimately decided to go into the beauty business for herself.

Sims retired from modeling in 1973 to start her own business, which created a successful wig collection fashioned after the texture of straightened black hair. It eventually expanded “into a multimillion-dollar beauty empire and at least five books on modeling and beauty”.

Sims authored several books on modeling, health, and beauty, including All About Health and Beauty for the Black Woman, How to Be a Top Model and All About Success for the Black Woman, as well as an advice column for teenage girls in Right On! magazine.

Sims was the first African-American model to appear on the covers of Ladies’ Home Journal and Life. She died of breast cancer in 2009, aged 61, in Newark, New Jersey. Take a look at these stunning photos to see portraits of young Naomi Sims as a model in the 1960s and 1970s.

Naomi Sims outside Metropolitan Museum, photo by Gosta Peterson, New York Times, 1967

Naomi Sims in dashing black-dyed Russian broadtail lamb coat with white leather ruching the pockets and cuffs and lining the stand-up collar by Maximilian, photo by Gianni Penati, Vogue, November 1, 1968

Naomi Sims in Fouke-dyed black seal fur kimono coat with white mink along the edges and tied with white leather belt by Jean Louis, shoes by Andrew Geller, photo by Alexis Waldeck, Vogue, September 15, 1968

Naomi Sims, photo Anthony Barboza, 1968

Naomi Sims in a marvelous short white crêpe dress with a high turtleneck and long white sleeves and an out-and-out fringe streaming from sleeves and yoke and hem to floor by Dominic Rompollo for Teal Traina, Vogue, September 1, 1969

Naomi Sims in a toe-to-shoulder body stocking in black fine line ribbing by Sapphire Hosiery in stretch nylon, photo by Chris von Wangenheim, Harper's Bazaar, March 1969

Naomi Sims in beautiful cotton patchwork dress in a stained-glass brilliance with gleaming tracery of gold and silver worn with a jeweled coif, both by Giorgio di Sant' Angelo, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 1, 1969

Naomi Sims in glorious shirt and pants in bright blue brocade patterned in shiny silvery threads in acetate wool and Lurex by Oscar de la Renta, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 15, 1969

Naomi Sims in navy-and-white, long-sleeved, bow-tied, reverse plaid tunic over pants by Alan Phillips for Jeremy, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 1, 1969

Naomi Sims in navy-blue wool jersey, sleeveless tunic over straight, wide-legged pants by B.H. Wragge, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 1, 1969

Naomi Sims in scarf, photo by Irving Penn, New York, circa 1969

Naomi Sims in the palest gray suède tunic and pants with a long Iranian print scarf by Viola Sylbert for Samuel Robert, scarf by Odyssey, rings by K.J.L. photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 1, 1969

Naomi Sims in vivid pink, gilt-edged, silk organza pyjamas, with a long tunic that simply ties over pants by Harold Levine, earrings by Richard Palan, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, April 15, 1969

Naomi Sims, photo by Stan Shaffer, 1969

Naomi Sims, photo by Yale Joel, October 1969

Naomi Sims, photo Gosta Peterson, New York City, June 23, 1969

Naomi Sims' hairstyle is by Elio of John Bernard with hairpieces by Simpatica, gold bracelet and nugget necklaces by David Webb, photo by Chris von Wangenheim, Harper's Bazaar, January 1969