Black in Fashion - Bethann Hardison

Bethann Hardison
checkyourdaily.com

Bethann Hardison began her career in the fashion industry in the 60's, working as a salesgirl in New York's garment district. In the 1970's, this Brooklyn native was strutting her stuff on the runways internationally and even assisted a few designers. Wanting to erase the racial boundaries in the fashion industry, Hardison founded her own modeling agency, where she scouted, launched and helped manage the career of models such as Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Tyson Beckford, and other new black models. In 1987, with the help of friend Iman, they established the Black Girls Coalition, to change the status quo of African Americans in the fashion industry, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. She also added the title of writer to her resume, creating a documentary entitled Invisible Beauty, to shed light on the lack of diversity on the runway. In 2008, Hardison contributed to the making of the highly recognized Italian Vogue Black Issue and has recently become the Editor-at-Large for the Black Italian Vogue's online magazine, a section of the site that is devoted to black models and issues in fashion. Bethann Hardison, is a hidden gem in the world of black fashion and is very much devoted to eliminating the racial boundaries in the industry.

Bethann Hardison with Friend and Mentor Iman
gaurdian.co.uk