A revelatory and redemptive memoir from Beverly Johnson, the
first black supermodel to grace the cover of Vogue,
and who, over five hundred magazine covers later, remains
one of the most successful glamour girls ever.
In
The Face That Changed It All, Beverly Johnson brings
her own passionate and deeply honest voice to the page to
chronicle her childhood growing up as a studious, and
sometimes bullied, bookworm during the socially conscious,
racially charged ’60s. Initially drawn to a career in law
due to the huge impact the Civil Rights movement had on her
life, Beverly eventually made her mark as the first black
cover model of American Vogue in 1974. A successful
three-decade career in modeling followed.
Offering
glamorous tales about the hard partying of the 1970s and
Hollywood during the ’80s and early ’90s, Johnson details
her many encounters and fascinating friendships with the
likes of Jackie Kennedy, Halston, Calvin Klein, and Andy
Warhol, as well as stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Michael
Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Keith Richards, and
Warren Beatty. But not everything that glitters is gold, and
Johnson’s memoir reveals the countless demons she wrestled
with over the course of her storied career. She brings us
into the heart of her struggles with racism, drug addiction,
divorce, and a prolonged child custody battle over her
daughter that tested her fortitude and sanity. She shares
for the first time intimate details surrounding her love
affair with the late tennis icon Arthur Ashe, giving little
known insight into the heart, mind, and spirit of the
revered tennis legend. She also pays homage to her mentor,
the late Naomi Sims, while lifting the veil off the
complicated, catty, and often times tense relationships
between black models during her fashion heyday. Familiar
names from the catwalk, such as Pat Cleveland and Iman,
appear regularly in her story, illustrating how each had to
fight various battles to survive not just the system at
large, but each other.
Featuring gorgeous,
never-before-seen photos from Johnson’s childhood and
modeling days, The Face That Changed It All gives a
no-holds-barred look at the lives of the rich, fabulous, and
famous. It is also a story of failure and success in the
upper echelons of the fashion world, and how Beverly Johnson
emerged from her struggles smarter, happier, and stronger
than ever.
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