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Veronica Webb (born February 25, 1965) is an African-American model, actress, writer, journalist and television personality. Webb was the first African-American to have a major cosmetics contract . Webb appeared on covers of Vogue, Essence and Elle magazines and on the runway for Victoria's Secret and Chanel.

Biography

Webb was born in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up in a working class community. Her father Doug was an electrician at the tank division of Chrysler; he died in 1993.. Her mom Marion was a nurse at Detroit General Hospital. One of Webb's sisters became an oncologist¹ and another is a mathematician.

As a youth Webb looked at magazines and admired the freedom of women who were involved in the fashion industry. Models controlled the way they appeared while other women did not. She enjoyed comic books and dreamed of becoming an animator. She identified with characters in comics who usually came from ordinary places. Webb understood that superheroes first fantasized intensely prior to being placed into a fantastic situation. At which point they realize they have superpower ¹.

Webb graduated in 1983 from Detroit's Waldorf School and moved to New York to study design. After a makeup artist saw her in a housewares boutique, Webb dropped out of school to become a model².

Personal

She learned French (language) from Karl Lagerfeld whom she moved in with for almost a year¹.

Ms. Webb dedicates her time to several charitable organizations: LIFEBeat, Product Red and the RPM Nautical Foundation. She married George Robb in 2002. Their daughters are Leila Rose Robb (12 Oct 2002) and Molly Blue Robb(21 May 2004). They live in the Florida Keys.

Career

She moved to New York City to earn her college degree and was discovered on the streets by a New York makeup artist ² In New York, Webb pursued a modeling career and eventually became a spokesmodel for Revlon. She was the first black supermodel to win an exclusive contract for a major cosmetics company ³ In 1991 Webb made her feature film debut in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" Her film credits include “Animal Husbandry,” “The Big Tease” and Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” and “Jungle Fever.” She has also been featured in a recurring role on the television show “Damon” and has appeared in “Just Shoot Me,” and “Clueless”. She admits that comedy comes much easier for her than drama².

As a runway model she was in demand to be photographed wearing fashions from the collections of Azzedine Alaia, Isaac Mizrahi, Karl Lagerfeld, and Todd Oldham⁴. Alaia and Lagerfeld became her friends.

Webb credits as a broadcaster include "Good Morning America", Vogue magazine's syndicated style show "Trend Watch". Veronica has also been named on American Vogue's best dressed list three times.

She served as editor-at-large of Interview magazine, and was also monthly columnist for Paper Magazine, New York City's style guide to downtown cool, for five years. Veronica wrote a weekly column on American culture in Panorama, Italy’s popular weekly news magazine, and has contributed as a writer for Details, Elle, The Sunday Times (UK) and The New York Times Syndicate. Webb was recently added as a contributing editor for Conde Nast's Cookie magazine a lifestyle guide redefining modern motherhood. Esquire (magazine) commissioned her to write an essay on cigars after she did a photo shoot with the publication with Regis Philbin. The periodical's editors were interested that she enjoyed brainy, self-made men, who enjoyed smoking cigars.⁴

In 1998 Miramax Books published Veronica Webb Sight: Adventures In The Big City. The volume is a remembrance of her life with a collection of her essays. Harvey Weinstein approached her while she was in line at the White House about publishing her essays and memoir. He had been a fan of her writing for some time. In the book Webb is especially frank about both her naivety and arrogance as a youth ².

Currently

Webb was the co-host during the first season of Bravo's Tim Gunn's Guide To Style. Eric Wilson wrote in the New York Times Style section that as the co-host of Bravo TV's Tim Gunn's Guide To Style. Veronica Webb is "Saving humanity one make-over at a time."

This Christmas Webb plays a high powered fashion editor opposite Rockman Dunbar in the independent feature film "Dirty Laundry".

Partial filmography

• Jungle Fever
• In Too Deep
• The Big Tease

See also

• List of black fashion models
• List of African-American actors
• List of The West Wing cast members

References

External links

• Veronica Webb at the Internet Movie Database
• Veronica Webb Yahoo Group
• Veronica Webb's Bio at Bravotv.com