BETHANN HARDISON

CEO, BETHANN MANAGEMENT CO. INC.

She broke barriers as one of the first African American models for major brands like Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, and Oscar de la Renta. By 1984, she formed Bethann Management Agency, becoming a mentor for countless black models and handling the careers of superstars Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford, and her TV star son Kadeem Hardison. Four years later, she joined former model and friend Iman to launch the Black Girls Coalition to provide advocacy and support for other African Americans who walked the runway. Hardison continued her efforts in 2013 by leading the Diversity Council, taking to task designers guilty of not including models of color during Fashion Week worldwide. In a New Year’s Instagram post, she wrote of this new decade: “This is truly not the time to worry about the whims and opinions of others. Running your own race and recognizing ‘time is of the essence,’ has never been truer.”

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