Adore YOUR BEAUTY

Born in Brooklyn, but a player of the world stage Bethann Hardison (mother of Kadeem) is "Tall, lithe, and lively... Regal without being self-righteous, maternal without being matriarchal, meticulous without being anal retentive," writes Greg Tate in Vibe magazine. "She's the Woman, and a warrior-woman to boot."
And we couldn't agree more. Bethann's career and life is one of many firsts: she was the first African- American cheerleader at her high school; the first African-American salesperson in a New York showroom and the first African-American model to discover and or guide to success the careers of some of our most notable beauties like Tyson Beckford, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Roshumba and Phina, to name a few.

Her own career in modeling started with deceased fashion designer, Willi Smith who met her in an elevator and promptly hired her to be his fit model. From there she ruled the runway with contemporaries Beverly Johnson, Pat Cleveland and later Iman, who is still one of her closest friends.

She's served as a mentor to many, extolling the benefits of being well rounded, not just a pretty face: "Learn about finances, learn how to be professional, learn personal public relations. Work hard to get and keep a healthy attitude. It's important to remember where you come from, so you will always know where you are going," she said to Vibe magazine about the models she represented at her eponymous-named agency.

In 1988, when it seemed girls of color had hit a wall in modeling opportunities, Bethann, along with Iman, formed Black Girls Coalition to speak out on the issue and to help black folks in front of and behind the scenes.

And nearly two decades later after some progress was made and it seemed the industry had taken a step back, Bethann again opened the dialogue about mixing up the beauty message. Panel discussions surrounding the lack of representation of models of color sparked controversy, but also produced results. Within a year, we saw an increase of Black, Asian and Latina models on the runways during fashion week, advertising campaigns and editorial spreads. All-black issues of European versions of Vogue, and Bethann was appointed as the editor-at-large for Italian Vogue.

Between working Invisible Beauty, a documentary about models of color, producing the biannual show for her friend, designer, Stephen Burrows, and being recognized for her accomplishments, Bethann stays busy. And the industry is so much better as a result.