Bold Beauties: 15 Black Supermodels [Photos]

It may have taken a few decades, but the days of waifish, pale models are nearly done. While haute couture houses will never resemble a King magazine, there has been slow progress towards diversity.

You can thank these 15 black supermodels for playing their part. They do the mean runway catwalk, but you can also find them in Jay Z videos, on the arms of rappers, and in flicks like House Party 2. Hit the jump so you can stop asking yourself where you remember seeing these fine women of color.

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Photo: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Vevo screen capture

photo: WENN

Tyra Banks

In 1997, Banks became the first African-American woman to cover the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She’s also dumb rich, so there’s that.

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Beverly Johnson

It’s hard to ignore the Cosby allegations but much easier to focus on Johnson being a trailblazer in the fashion and modeling industry.

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Naomi Campbell

She’s the Foxy Brown of the modeling world for better or worse: transcendent skills, but down to slap someone in public if her temper flares up. No wonder she fits so well on Empire.

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Selita Ebanks

While you can still catch her looking all kinds of fine in print and Victoria’s Secret campaigns, Ebanks has graduated to acting. She’s was the lead in Kanye West’s Runaway and has appeared in Real Husbands Of Hollywood, The Game, and Hawaii Five-O.

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Jessica White

The beautiful White has done Sports Illustrated, videos for Jay Z and John Legend, and is candid enough to have kept it 100 about being a victim of abuse and struggling with addiction.

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Kimora Lee

True boss chick status. Kimora graduated from the runway and Russell Simmons to running Baby Phat, and now she’s in charge of her KLS brand.

Chanel Iman

She’s a Victoria’s Secret Angel, and she’s pretty much modeled for any brand you can name including Versace and YSL. She also dated A$AP Rocky for what that’s worth.

Jourdan Dunn

In addition to launching her own line, shorty can cook too. Check out Well Dunn With Jourdan Dunn on the Life+Times YouTube channel. And yes, she’s a beautiful British model who was the first black model since Naomi Campbell to strut for Prada.

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Alek Wek

Wek went from a Sudanese refugee to an international supermodel. She can rip the runway, drop an informative class lecture, and she’s been been an advisor to the US Committee for Refugees. Oh, and have you seen how beautiful she is?

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Grace Jones

Before Kim tried to “break the Internet,” Grace Jones rocked that Paper magazine cover with Jean-Paul Goude. She also regulated Eddie Murphy and Arnold Schwarzenegger on screen, was a muse to Andy Warhol, and dropped a hit single with “Pull Up To The Bumper.”

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Iman

She’s a pioneer, so you can start with Versace, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan. She’s the founder and owner of Iman Cosmetics, and the Somalian beauty was down enough to take a parts in House Party 2, 227, and Michael Jackson’s “Remember The Time” video.

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Noémie Lenoir

Remember the bad, French beauty from Rush Hour 3? That’s her. Add in work for L’Oreal, Jones New York and covers of high level trade magazines like Vogue and you get the picture.

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Lais Ribeiro

One of the many reasons to visit Brazil…or the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. If those aren’t in your budget, Ribeiro also does work for Christian Dior, Tom Ford, GAP and American Eagle. Get your Google and your thirst bucket on.

Joan Smalls

That would be Joan Smalls Rodriguez, whom Elle christened in their “Return of the Super Model” issue last year. She’s of Africa-American, Puerto Rican and of Spanish, Taino Indian, and South Asian (Indian) heritage, and has locked down campaigns for Givenchy, Tom Ford, Victoria’s Secret, Burberry, and more.