Beverly Johnson showcases timeless beauty

Ebony, July, 2008 by Nubia Murray

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Beverly Johnson has fronted more than 500 magazine covers and turned that appeal into multiple book deals, acting roles and successful business ventures. After more than 30 years in the fashion industry, she is still considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.

She is now one of three judges on a new TV Land reality series, She's Got the Look, which features 10 women vying for a lucrative modeling contract. Here's the twist: She's Got the Look features women who are age 35 and older.

As a 55-year-old woman whose beauty is timeless, Johnson demonstrates that beauty exists at every age. "There are more mature women, particularly in the United States, than there are young people," she says. Johnson's success continues long after she made history in 1974 as the first Black woman to grace the cover of Vogue. "I've always looked at my career as a business ... and branded my name," she says.

Twice divorced and the mother of a 25-year-old daughter, Johnson views aging positively. "I feel that we're a generation that embraces it [age], as opposed to just giving up," she says.

Today, notes Johnson, fewer Black models arc on the runways and in major fashion campaigns, even though "a woman of color coming down the runway sells a lot more garments than her peer. I think it will eventually just be a matter of business.

She says future projects will target mature women, and she has a great interest in health issues. In fact, Johnson is an advocate for non-surgical options for treating fibroids. She also anticipates a second season of She's Got the Look. "I talked to so many fascinating, interesting, beautiful women, she says. "I was so inspired by their stories, by what they taught me, by what I was sharing with them. It's more than just a modeling show. It's a show of second chances, women that gave up their modeling careers for their families. Women who are now fulfilling their dreams."