History of the Supermodel: Who Was the First?!
English designer Charles Frederick Worth is known to be the pioneer of high fashion, opening the first couture house in Paris in 1858. But did you know his wife, Marie-Augustine Vernet, is considered to be the world’s first fashion model? Marie became the first “human mannequin” to show off her husband’s designs to potential clientele, successfully creating a lengthy resume full of celebrities, aristocrats, and royals. I bet she didn’t know her endeavors would kick-start a multi-billion-dollar industry.
I don’t know about you, but when I first learned this in my “History of Fashion” class, I thought it was fascinating. To honor Women’s History Month, it made me want to do a deep dive into other women throughout the 20th century who paved the way for the modeling industry we have today.
Note: I definitely won’t be covering every single influential model in this article alone. Consider this part one of a series.
Because there wasn’t technology throughout most of the 20th century, it’s very difficult to decipher the “first” model for any category. Without the proper documentation, it appears to be a debatable topic. What we do have is photography, which entered the fashion scene around the early 1910s for notable fashion magazines like Vogue and even designers like Paul Poiret. Entertainers such as actresses, dancers, and socialites were among the first to be photographed by designers. Notoriety and level of success within the industry also seem to be considered when accrediting the “first.”
When it comes to the first “supermodel,” Google will tell you different things. The names Lisa Fonssagrives, Evelyn Nesbit— who possesses a tragic story—and Dorian Leigh are seemingly the most credible from multiple sources. Lisa Fonssagrives was the highest-paid model of her time, the late 1930s to be exact. Born in Sweden, the dancer stumbled upon a photographer by the name of Willy Maywald while in Paris, who asked her to be his hat model. Those photos were then sent to Vogue (because I guess it was just that easy). By 1939, the name Lisa Fonssagrives was all the rage.
While the term “supermodel” was coined in 1891, it didn’t hit mainstream media until the 1980s when it became an era for the books. Think Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campell, Linda Evangelista, etc.
Donyale Luna is credited as one of the first black supermodels, being the first to appear on the covers of British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Known as Andy Warhol’s muse, this 6-foot-two beauty experienced the height of her modeling career in the 1960s, but not with ease. Facing racism and scrutiny, Luna changed the beauty standards of the fashion industry, appearing in films, editorials, and runway shows for designers like Paco Rabanne— who, along with Yves Saint Laurent, was one of the first couture designers to feature black models. She even went on to become the inspiration for the first-ever black mannequin created in 1967. There is so much more to Donyale Luna, so I highly suggest reading up on her story. There is also a documentary on Max entitled “Donyale Luna: Supermodel,” produced by her daughter.
It is also important to note that while Donyale Luna gained the most success in her time, there are other names lost to history that opened doors for black models, including Luna herself. Refer to my article “The Lost Files of Black Fashion” for more information on fashion’s black history.
Filipino model Anna Bayle is credited as the first Asian supermodel to reach her peak in the 1980s. Born in 1956 and raised in Manila, Philippines, Bayle attended the University of the Philippines. While working as a pre-med student by day, Anna Bayle became a pageant star by night. After being named runner-up in the Miss Republic of the Philippines in 1976, Anna took on local modeling jobs. Moving her way up, she eventually moved to Hong Kong and then Paris, making her mark on the high fashion scene with none other than Thierry Mugler. She soon found success in America and became one of the highest-paid models of her time. Working for the likes of the most prominent designers, Anna Bayle dominated fashion spaces and was known for her exceptional catwalk.
April Ashley is deemed one of the first trans models. Born in Liverpool, England, in 1935, Ashley reached the highest point of her career at 25, gracing the cover of British Vogue. She was unfortunately outed by the tabloids in 1961 for being trans. Ashley went on to serve as an LGBTQ+ activist and author before her passing in 2021.
Tracey Africa is the first black trans model in the United States. Modeling for the biggest names in fashion, Africa soon found herself on the cover of Vogue Italia. She led a successful, decade-long career in the 70s before being outed in 1980 during a shoot with Essence. Her career abruptly ended from that point forward until 2016, when she became the face of a campaign with Clairol, whom she had worked with over forty years before. She opened up and shared her story in a feature with The Cut in 2015. These beautiful, successful transwomen paved the way for actresses and models like Laverne Cox and Alex Consani, who are still breaking barriers in the fashion industry today.
Patricia Velásquez is considered the first Latina supermodel and is credited as so because of her many notable titles. Born in Venezuela in 1971, Velásquez studied acting in California and New York in the late 90s while simultaneously working as a successful model for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, the list goes on. She is largely known for her roles in The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001) and for appearing in music videos for artists like George Michael and Rod Stewart. She also uses her platform for activism, founding a non-profit organization and working as an Ambassador for UNESCO Artist for Peace.
If you haven’t noticed, the years are starting to get a little too recent for my liking. There are still so many “firsts” we have yet to reach, and it is already 2025. I will mention again that the term “first” is subjective in the fashion world; these are just a few notable figures that reached pinnacles the world may or may not have seen before. Each woman here, however, is a pioneer in their own right. Without them, we wouldn’t have the opportunities to push the envelope further and exceed society’s wildest expectations. Many of these models also went on to work in different fields, expanding upon their already impressive resumes.
This was very fun to research, and I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more articles like this soon.
Sources:
“Anna Bayle.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Aug. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Bayle.
“April Ashley.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Ashley.
“Donyale Luna.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Feb. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donyale_Luna.
“Lisa Fonssagrives.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Aug. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Fonssagrives.
“Patricia Velásquez.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Feb. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Vel%C3%A1squez.
“Tracey Norman.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Feb. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracey_Norman.
Yuan, Jada and Wong, Aaron. “The First Black Trans Model Had Her Face on a Box of Clairol.” The Cut, 15 Dec. 2015, www.thecut.com/2015/12/tracey-africa-transgender-model-c-v-r.html.
