BHS Day 12: Tracey Norman
Hi! For our first Fashion Spotlight I wanted to feature someone who wore beautiful fashion as opposed to designing it, which is usually the angle I took in years past. I'm a little worried about the reception to today's entrant, but if I'm being completely truthful, if you have an issue with the person I chose today then my blog is no place for you anyhow. I have featured members of the LGBTQ+ community here before, but I have to admit being a little hesitant to do so because I was scared. My platform is tiny compared to that of our favorite influencers and digital media folks, but I still didn't want to direct hatred anyone's way because of my personal decision to feature them in a post. But here's some real: I love the LGBTQ+ community, Black and otherwise. I intend to feature them when it's relevant to the topic at hand and that's just the way it is. With that being said, here is today's entrant. She is a groundbreaker, an unsung pioneer for Black models, and she deserves her moment.
Name: Tracey Africa Norman, 1952--
Profession: Model, LGBTQ+ activist
Why is the Spotlight on her today? For her door-opening contributions to the fashion industry as both a Black and transgender model
Notables:
--Was featured with Geena Rocero as the first openly transgender models to appear on the cover of Harper's Bazaar
--Was the first Black trans model to appear on a Clairol box, which remained on shelves for 6 years
--Was the second Black woman to appear on the cover of Italian Vogue, and the first Black trans woman to do so
--Was the first member of her family to receive a high school diploma
--Secured contracts with Avon and Clairol at her prime
--Was blackballed from the industry after someone privately outed her
--Was inducted into the Ballroom Community (an NYC-based drag ball community) Hall of Fame in 2001
--Is considered a mother of the House of Africa drag community
--Worked with Essence magazine during her prime years
--Was once signed to Balenciaga, where she worked in the showroom
--Was brought back to Clairol in 2016 for the "Color As Real As You Are" campaign
--Filmed a commercial with Lexus
--Mentors LGBTQ youth
Further reading links:
1 | 2 | 3
Quotes of the Day:
"As a model, I was hiding my truth, and when I got the first job it was very exciting for me. It was different because we were back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, so it was something that wasn’t spoken of, and at that time it wasn’t acceptable for me to be out. Now I was being accepted for who I am and they wanted me as the person that I am today to represent them. And I just thought that was fantastic.”
--Tracey Norman
“It (the Vogue shoot) was really, really a moment for me. Because I knew that this was a first. I knew that Tracey was breaking that glass ceiling."
--Peggy Dillard
“I can’t tell you how many hours I stared at that photo of her on that Clairol bottle and that caption, ‘Born Beautiful'. Yeah, we are born beautiful.”
--Laverne Cox
