The beautiful, strange and mysterious Donyale Luna (Born Peggy Anne Freeman in Detroit in 1946). Although not much is known about her since she was rather creative about her background and heritage. Claiming her fathers surnames was Luna and that her mother was Native American, Mexican and Egyptian while also claiming one of her grandmothers was an Irish woman who had married a black man (this was probably true). Perhaps Donyale created this story to escape her true upbringing (as her father was reportedly abusive and was murdered when she was 18) or because she thought the fashion industry would be more accepting of a more âexoticâ beauty. She always bristled when it came to her racial identity and often wore blonde wigs and green contact lenses. In a New York Times article she was described as secretive, mysterious, evasive, contradictory, and insistent upon her mixed lineage, which she said included American Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Irish, âand last but least escapable, Negro.â When asked where she was from, Luna often replied: âIâm from the moon baby!â So you can see there was a pattern of not being comfortable with herself or her racial identity as she chose to continue the legacy of âpassingâ as something other than black.
When asked about the impact her modeling and acting career would have on future black women to come, Donyale reportedly replied: âIf it brings about more jobs for Mexicans, Chinese, Indians, Negroes, groovy. It could be good, it could be bad. I couldnât care less.â
She was a pioneering force in modeling, taking Europe by storm in the â60s after her discovery by photographer David McCabe. As the embodiment of the experimentation occurring in fashion at the time she earned more than most other models in Europe at the time.
She was revered for her singular features and angular and lithe body which lead her to being the first black woman to appear on the cover of British Vogue (although her hand obscured much of her face except for her heavily lined eye in the cover photo. Reportedly, Vogue didnât want to offend their regular readership with a full photo of her). She also appeared in the American and French editions of Vogue, as well as Harperâs Bazaar, Paris Match and Britainâs Queen (which is now Harpers & Queen magazine). She was a favorite of designer Paco Rabanne and Yves Saint Laurent. She was also one of only two black women to be considered one of Andy Warholâs Factory Girls.
Donyale, who had no problem discussing her addictions and a love of LSD which she discovered in the â60s died of an accidental pill overdose in Rome in 1979 at the age of 33.
Even though she struggled with racial identity throughout her life, sheâs remembered as beautiful and one of the first black supermodels. However, it is sad to think that she never accepted herself and her obvious black heritage. Or that she didnât live long enough to see the impact that she and other pioneering black models had on the fashion world. Had she lived longer, its possible she wouldâve been able to eventually conquer her demons and accept herself.
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