This isn’t Queen Bey’s first Vogue September issue, but this is the first time a Black photographer has shot a Vogue cover in its 120-year-plus history–and that was cause she said so. That’s called being a boss.
3. Former First Lady Michelle Obama
While we adore all three of Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Vogue Covers, December 2016’s issue has a special place in our hearts. Damn, we miss her in the White House.
4. Serena Williams
Making history isn’t just a Serena Williams’ thing, but her daughter’s tpp. For posing in the Jan 2018 issue, Alexis Olympia became the youngest person to ever grace the cover. You go girl.
5. Lupita Nyong’o
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It’s clear that Lupita has been a muse to Vogue’s EIC Anna Wintour since she hit the “12 Years A Slave” red carpet. This is probably why the Oscar winner has four covers under her belt, but it’s her third one, the October 2017 issue, that has me in my feelings.
While few Black models have rocked Vogue covers in the past, in 1998, Oprah became the African-American screen star to be featured on its October issue. And man did she kill it!
7. Rihanna
Rihanna looks like a Goddess on Vogue Arabia’s November 2017 issue. It doesn’t get any better than this y’all!
Before Beyonce rocked two September Vogue issues, there was Halle Berry, who became the first Black woman to do so in history. Here’s her 2010 groundbreaking milestone. We love the bob!
10. Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell has had countless Vogue covers during her illustrious career, but her first-ever French Vogue cover in 1988, was the first time the fashion bible ever boasted a woman of color.
11. Aya Jones
For the March 2016 issue of Vogue Spain, French-Ivorian beauty Aya Jones boasts cornrows and is giving us #BlackGirlMagic in the fields of Southern Africa — and we are here for it all.
Somali-American model Halima Aden became the first model to rock a hijab on any of Vogue’s covers. Here she is for Vogue Arabia’s June 2017 issue, giving us life!
13. Beverly Johnson
Before anyone on this list became a Vogue cover girl, supermodel Beverly Johnson was the first of all-time. Her 1974 cover slowly opened the doors for others like her to grace the coveted publication.
14. Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell
These four women made magazine history back in 2008, when they each graced their own Italian Vogue cover for the first-ever “all black” issue. And yes, the issue was a hit, with Vogue having to print tens of thousands of extra copies worldwide to make sure everyone that wanted a copy had one.
We love this British Vogue cover of Adwoa Aboah not only because she looks amazing, but because this marks the first issue edited by Edward Enninful, the mag’s first Black EIC.
While Oprah was the first Black actress to cover Vogue, in March 2007, Jennifer Hudson became the first Black singer to achieve that feat. Not to mention, she won an Oscar that year too.
17. Ruth Negga
The “Loving” Oscar nominee looked like utter perfection on Vogue’s Jan 2017 issue. We hope there are plenty more of these in Ruth Negga’s future.
18. Zendaya
Zendaya is America’s It Girl and we’re glad that Vogue finally saw it too. The actress and activist looks divine on the July 2017 cover rocking Calvin Klein.
