Donyale Luna

Peggy Ann Freeman (August 31, 1945 – May 17, 1979), known professionally as Donyale Luna, and occasionally billed simply as Luna, was an American model and actress. Known for her statuesque appearance and avant-garde persona, Luna was one of the most recognizable faces in the international fashion industry during the 1960s and is widely regarded as the first Black supermodel.

Born in Detroit, Luna began her modeling career in New York in 1964. She became the first Black model to appear on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, depicted in an illustration. Luna rose to prominence in Europe, where she became the first Black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue in 1966. She worked with the leading photographers of the time, including Richard Avedon, David Bailey, William Klein, and Helmut Newton, and appeared in major fashion publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Elle. Her success challenged racial barriers in the fashion industry at a time when Black models remained largely excluded from mainstream editorial work.

Luna also pursued an acting career, appearing in several experimental films by Pop artist Andy Warhol—such as Camp (1965) and Donyale Luna (1967)—and becoming a fixture of his Factory scene as one of Warhol's superstars. She was also a muse to surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, collaborating with him on several happenings in 1966. She later appeared in European arthouse and avant-garde films, including Skidoo (1968), directed by Otto Preminger, Fellini Satyricon (1969), directed by Federico Fellini, and Salomè (1972), directed by Carmelo Bene. Luna died from a heroin overdose in 1979 at the age of 33. She has been recognized posthumously as a pioneering figure whose success helped pave the way for later generations of Black models.