The Face That Changed It All

June 8, 2015
In this entertaining memoir, supermodel Johnson tells of her rise to success—from her youthful work in a fashion store to juggling college and modeling and then on to taking the fashion world by storm. Johnson became the first black cover model of American Vogue 1974 then continued to model for decades. She also struggled with difficult marriages, drug addiction, financial exploitation, and custody arrangements for her daughter before finally reaching some measure of peace. Johnson details every part of her life, leaving nothing out, and the reward for readers is an intimate look at the world of modeling and the grit and glamour of the 1970s and ’80s. She recalls Bill Cosby attempting to assault her, and reflects on how she had the strength to talk about it after other women came forward. While the memoir sometimes jumps in time, making it difficult to follow, the vignettes are clear. Johnson’s memoir ends on a note of personal growth (that is, when Johnson decided to get clean and sober). While the writing is lackluster, fans of her career will find much here to interest them.

June 15, 2015
A memoir from the model whom fashion designer Halston once called "the new beauty 'It Girl.' " In August 1974, Johnson (True Beauty: Secrets of Radiant Beauty for Women of Every Age and Color, 1994) transformed the fashion industry as the first African-American to appear on the cover of American Vogue. That appearance, she writes, "left an enduring mark on the country, its view of beauty, and the meaning of beauty for decades to come." However, as she notes, her life and career have been scarred by unwanted sexual advances that began at age 12 and that include a frightening 1986 incident with Bill Cosby (which the author has talked about publicly following other allegations against the comedian). Johnson's observation that modeling was "an industry that I would find to be overflowing with a toxic mix of deceit, manipulation, abuse, and backstabbing" is echoed in the details of her unstable personal life, which has been marked by a string of codependent relationships with leeching, unfaithful, or drug-dealing men who robbed her of her livelihood and self-respect, jeopardized her health, and nearly ruined her professional reputation. When she finally recognized that her life had become a battle of "self-loathing and self-destruction," she was able to start down the hard road toward redemption. Though she remains a sympathetic, candid narrator, Johnson recounts these doomed romances and other personal issues with repetitious lamentations, and she doesn't seem to have gleaned much wisdom from the experiences. She also litters the book with cliches-on one page, she uses "bright and early," "best and brightest," "nearest and dearest," and "crystal clear." These are not only distracting, but they hold readers at a distance and demonstrate the author's lack of real insight. Johnson remains a fashion pioneer, but her storytelling lacks the wit or polish necessary to make the book a success.

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