Told by the major modeling agencies that her skin was too dark, Sims did not let that stop her from chasing after her dreams.
Before Sims, no dark-skinned model had ever received so much exposure, praise, and professional prestige. Here, Sims graces the August 1973 cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.
“When she put on a garment, something just marvelous happened,” said fashion designer Halston, one of the first major fashion houses to hire Sims.
“Black wasn’t beautiful then,” said Sims in an interview with Black Enterprise magazine. “The darker your skin, the less good-looking you were considered; and I was too tall, and too skinny.”
Model Naomi Sims wears a long belted dress by Halston in 1972. “Naomi was the first,” the designer Halston told The New York Times in 1974. “She was the great ambassador for all black people. She broke down all the social barriers.”
In 1986, Naomi Sims Beauty Products was established and featured cosmetics for Black women. Sims’s also manufactured and sold wigs—her line became a competitor amongst top industry brands.
Sims made the switch from model to mogul with ease. The Naomi Sims Beauty brand was grossing $5 million by 1989. “One of the things people notice about me is the quality of my skin,” Sims told Anne-Marie Shiro of the New York Times. “We decided I was the best person to advertise my products.”
“I am devastated she was my hero. So little is known about what an outstanding model she was. I would not have the career I have without Naomi Sims. She will be surely missed.”—Beverly Johnson
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