Veronica Webb is an African American model, actress, writer, and television personality. Webb was the first African American to have a major cosmetics contract when she signed with Revlon in 1992. Webb also appeared on the covers of Vogue, Essence, and Elle magazines and had the opportunity to be on the runway for Victoria’s Secret and Chanel. Webb was born on February 25, 1965, in Detroit, Michigan, to Marion Webb, a registered nurse, and Leonard Douglas Webb, an electrician.

Growing up, Webb identified with magazine models and women who were involved in the fashion industry She also enjoyed comic books and dreamed initially of becoming an animator. Webb attended the Detroit Waldorf School, a private institution located in the historic Detroit Indian Village neighborhood where she graduated in 1983. After graduation, Webb moved to New York City, New York to study design. When a makeup artist saw her in a boutique, he encouraged her to drop out of school to become a model. Webb pursued a modeling career in New York City and eventually became a spokesmodel for the cosmetics giant Revlon. Webb, at the age of twenty-seven, was the first black model to win an exclusive contract for a major cosmetics company.

In 1991 Webb made her feature film debut in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Her other film credits include Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992), The Big Tease (1999), and Someone Like You (2001). Webb also had a recurring role on the television show Damon and appeared on Just Shoot Me, Becker, and Clueless. In 2006 Webb appeared in the independent feature film Dirty Laundry.

During her career as a runaway model, Webb modeled fashions from the collections of major designers, including Azzedine Alaia, Isaac Mizrahi, Karl Lagerfeld, and Todd Oldham. Webb was named to American Vogue’s best-dressed list three times. She has also written essays and columns for the interview publication, Paper Magazine (“New York City’s style guide to downtown cool), Panorama (an Italian weekly news magazine), Details, Elle, The British Sunday

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