Sims, Naomi (1948–)

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Sims, Naomi (1948–)

African-American entrepreneur and fashion model. Born Mar 30, 1948, in Oxford, Mississippi; graduate of Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh; studied briefly at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology; m. Michael Findlay (art dealer); children: John Phillip.

Fashion model, accepted a New York Times assignment that placed her on the cover of its Fashion of the Times supplement—the 1st for a black model; became the 1st black model published on the covers and in the pages of such Anglo-American bastions of fashion as Vogue, Ladies' Home Journal, Life and Cosmopolitan (late 1960s); dissatisfied with the quality of wigs available to African-American women, founded Naomi Sims Collection (1973); founded Naomi Sims Beauty Products (1985), with wares exclusively formulated for African-American women; also wrote several books, including All About Health and Beauty for the Black Woman (1975), How to Be a Top Model (1979) and All about Success for the Black Woman (1983). Named Model of the Year (1969 and 1970).

See also Women in World History.