Beverly Johnson projected a photo of her all-Black swim team during her one-woman biographic off-Broadway show, Beverly Johnson: In Vogue. “Pick me out,” she encouraged the audience. “I’ll give you a hint. Don’t pick out any pretty girls.” Johnson’s New York production, with 40 performances, wrapped in February. The experience was a first for her and an opportunity to not only share her fascinating journey, but also inspire others along the way.
“I was an academic and a jock from Buffalo, New York,” says Johnson, who now calls the Coachella Valley home. “They called me ‘Tall Chief’ because I was big, tall, and lanky.” She had law school in her sights when her parents fell on a financial hardship, prompting her to try out modeling to help. She had no idea the impact the choice would have on her life or the fashion industry at large.
Now, the world is celebrating with her. “I was striving for that Vogue cover, which is our gold medal in the fashion industry. As a 21-year-old, I didn’t know the significance it was going to have. It came with a lot of responsibilities.”
Johnson watched many models walk away from the industry after only a few years of work. Enamored with the art form of modeling — the physicality, the emotion, the chance to elevate a product — Johnson refused to follow suit. “I realized that it wasn’t a five- or six-year career. I could reinvent myself and do it all over again.”
The beauty-meets-business icon has landed more than 500 magazine covers and acted in theater and television. In 2008, The New York Times named her one of the 20th century’s most influential people in fashion.
Johnson moved to the desert for golf 20 years ago and wed her longtime partner last October. “I mentor quite a few young women and young men, but my most important role now is being a grandmother,” Johnson shares. “I always wanted to be the grandmother that my grandmother was to me.” On the family front, the reality series The Barnes Bunch premiered April 19 on We TV featuring her daughter’s family and special appearances by Johnson.
THE STYLING
LBLC the Label
Designed with love in Palm Springs, LBLC the Label is a woman-owned brand helmed by Jen Hardy. Combining her passion for animals and her pursuit of the ultimate capsule wardrobe, Hardy produces apparel that is 100 percent vegan and cruelty free and donates a percentage of profits to animal rights organizations. Shop the line locally at Chrissy’s on El Paseo in Palm Desert or online at lblcthelabel.com.
THE LOCATION
Desert One, Palm Springs
A private residence in Palm Springs, Desert One was designed by architect Jim Jennings, AIA, in 2005. The one-bedroom home, sited amid natural desert terrain, leans into a sparse midcentury modern design aesthetic. An 8-foot-high concrete wall supports the steel roof and conceals two courtyards and a saltwater pool.
Camilla cowl dress by LBLC the Label; Beverly’s own heels and earrings.
