Talent: Supermodel Pat Cleveland. Photographer: Tom Marvel.
The career of model and legend Pat Cleveland, who shot to fashion stardom in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, reads like a who’s who among European and American designers of the period. Cleveland opened doors and helped let in an air of inclusivity and personality on the runway, in magazines and even in fit modeling.
It wasn’t easy. While the Seventies heralded a raft of model breakthroughs, the dominant look was still the California blonds epitomized by Christie Brinkley and Cheryl Tiegs.
Dress: Christian Siriano. Hat: Binata Millinery. Bracelet: Alexis Bittar.
But Cleveland made her indelible mark working as a Halstonette. Furthermore, she became one of a handful of African-American beauties chosen to appear in the historic Versailles show, and while still a teenager, debuted as a model for what was to become an American cultural touchstone, Ebony Fashion Fair. The travelling runway show exploded fashion and racial barriers as it crisscrossed the United States promoting luxury looks to American communities nationwide. “I had the opportunity to represent my people and to bring haute couture European fashion to many who had never had the opportunity to see it,” recalled Cleveland recently.
Having achieved icon status, Cleveland continues to create moments of adventure and bonhomie with her modeling, singing, writing and even the occasional clothing design.
We caught up with the 74-year-old legend near her home in New York, to hear what she’s up to and revel in some of the rich stories she’s accumulated from her front-row seat in modern fashion.
Dress: Maticevski. Earrings and rings: Doves by Doron Paloma. Shoes: Badgley Mischa.
CONSTANCE WHITE Pat, there’s a photo of you in my book “StyleNoir” which came out in 1998. You are cozied up with Thierry Mugler at an Eighties party. Both of you look very young and very glamorous. Who were some of the designers you were friendly with and liked to hang out with?
PAT CLEVELAND Thierry Mugler made me feel like an angel. I modeled for him, for Montana, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, and Kenzo. Certainly, Stephen Burrows was top of the list.
CONSTANCE WHITE Why Stephen?
PAT CLEVELAND I loved to hang out with Stephen Burrows because – oh my god – he dressed me in his clothes, and talk about ENERGY! He made sure all his friends got dressed – down to his shirt. He would take his shirt off and put it on his friends. Sometimes I would wear Stephen’s pants.
Stephen was like the dance master. He would say let’s do the bump or, ‘can’t you do Latin?’ Well I said, ‘of course not’. I didn’t have a Latin background. But he taught me. He taught me so much: About movement, about all kinds of things.
Stephen knew everybody.
Then I worked with Diana Vreeland (famed Vogue Editor in Chief). I was her fit model for the September issue for years.
Dress: Maticevski. Earrings and rings: Doves by Doron Paloma. Shoes: Badgley Mischa.
CONSTANCE WHITE Who did Stephen introduce you to?
PAT CLEVELAND Stephen introduced me to Halston to Calvin Klein, Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo. I’d go out with him to Fire Island (a popular seaside enclave in New York). All of society would be out there.
They would always redecorate their houses out there in a theme. One time they dressed me up like The Dance of the Seven Veils and they wrapped me up in a rug, like a tube. And these Moroccan boys carried me in the rug, and all these torches were burning and then they rolled me out and I did The Dance of the Seven Veils.
When we had parties, Richard Bernstein and Calvin Klein would do the BBQ. Charles Treacy, the photographer, would be there.
Sometimes we’d sneak up on Tennessee Williams and go “boo!”
Dress: Maticevski. Earrings and rings: Doves by Doron Paloma. Shoes: Badgley Mischa.
CONSTANCE WHITE Yes, Charles did a lot of Stephen’s early photography. Remind me, who is Richard Bernstein?
PAT CLEVELAND Richard did the cover art for Interview magazine and lived at the Chelsea Hotel.
When Charles photographed Brooke Shields at 10 years old in the famous bathtub photo, I was at the studio and her mother said, “I can’t put this makeup on her. Would you do it?’ So, I did the makeup for that photo and Brooke’s never forgotten me. Today we’re friends and we speak regularly.
CONSTANCE WHITE How did you end up in France?
PAT CLEVELAND I finally met Antonio Lopez (the influential illustrator), who took me out of America and invited me to Paris. He said, “Would you come to Paris so that I may sketch you?” That’s how I met Karl Lagerfeld. He was so European and so educated. He let us stay in this apartment in Paris. We were like a little family.
Dress: Issey Miyake.
CONSTANCE WHITE You were an important part of the Ebony Fashion Fair shows and worked with fashion trailblazer Eunice Johnson, and her husband John, founder of Ebony magazine, for years. I learned recently from the book “AfroSheen”, that there were two powerful and historic Johnson families in Chicago. The other family were the founders of UltraSheen haircare. Did you know them?
PAT CLEVELAND Yes. I shot an ad in Chicago for Afro Sheen. It was with Matthew Eckstein (stepson of famous musical legend Billy Eckstein) So we shot the ads and they ran in the magazine and elsewhere.
You have to realize the products; it was a whole world. And with the editorial; it was a whole world. They were complementary to each other. Because if you can make a product and nobody sees it, what good is it?
It’s like music. If you sing it and nobody’s hearing it, what good is it?
Entrepreneurs and business people in Chicago, all went to Ebony to advertise. Ultra Sheen ran the ads in the magazine.
Ultra Sheen sold the products that freed us to be ourselves. Because, you know, when you grow up and you live the lie that you’re not good enough. You’re not beautiful enough because your hair and your skin texture is different because your ancestors come from Africa. Which is the original people. Everybody is originally African. All human beings started there. Their melanin changed of necessity. But all the human beings came from there.
Pride in having this ancestry came from Afro Sheen. Women realized they could use these products that made them feel beautiful and it made me feel beautiful to do the advertising. Everything that they put on me is a possibility for someone else.
By the way, I’m doing an album with a friend.
Dress: Issey Miyake.
CONSTANCE WHITE You did an album before, right?
PAT CLEVELAND It was one song. This will be a whole album. My first album.
CONSTANCE WHITE Why make a music album now?
PAT CLEVELAND It’s so much fun to make an album. I do it because the people I’m working with believe so highly in what they’re doing.
CONSTANCE WHITE You knew and hung out with all these designers but speaking of Matthew Kenneth Eckstein, you also had quite the dating life?
PAT CLEVELAND Matthew walked into the room. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. We became a couple. I would always go to the Apollo. Then we would go together. We would see Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Stevie Wonder.
Matthew turned out to be a poet, a musician.
CONSTANCE WHITE You had a relationship with Sterling St. Jacques I understand?
PAT CLEVELAND Yes – I must say I love beautiful men. The eye candy.
Sterling St. Jacques. He was so beautiful. I do apologize that the world did not get more of him. He was so talented. He was so beautiful, such a gentleman. We were like Fred and Ginger. He was a great dancer. He was so refined, like Vuitton luggage.
Dress: Stella McCartney. Bracelets: Alexis Bittar.
CONSTANCE WHITE Why did you break up? It sounds so wonderful.
PAT CLEVELAND When it was time for us to part, we went off in two different directions. He went his way and I went mine. Like two snakes in love.
CONSTANCE WHITE Two snakes?
PAT CLEVELAND You can only love someone for all their good attributes and the minute it doesn’t go that way… That’s why you hold on to what you got, when you got it. Then let go.
CONSTANCE WHITE What are you proudest of in your distinguished career? What makes your heart sing?
PAT CLEVELAND When I think of the thing that pulls my heart strings, life is musical and makes me think that all my friends have danced, loved, created things. Some are here, some have passed away but it’s always living in me. There’s not one moment that I don’t treasure. Love conquers all, no?
CONSTANCE WHITE What are you proudest of?
PAT CLEVELAND There are things I’m very proud of. I have always had ideas that you have the cover of this and the mannequin of that.
I love the mannequins from Adel Rootstein because there’s not enough of me to go around so I have these mannequins now in windows all over the world. Things come and go, businesses change but there are hot moments when your dreams come true.
Dress: Stella McCartney. Bracelets: Alexis Bittar.
CONSTANCE WHITE You never dreamed of being a model, you have said?
PAT CLEVELAND No
CONSTANCE WHITE What would you do if you were not a model?
PAT CLEVELAND If i were not a model? Let me ask myself something: What can I do? I was a dog walker once, I scooped ice cream once. I was a babysitter but they tied me up and put me in a closet so that wasn’t good. I probably would have been an architect or a designer. I have a passion for film and writing. I write, I write. I wrote two books.
I feel so blessed that something has come into my life that I wake up for. I’m passionate again. It’s like making love to yourself in a way. Your true self is the person who’s excited and feels that you have the possibilities and the potential.
I love writing and painting. I can write, I can sing. But the fashion has been the people who have a life I adore.
CONSTANCE WHITE You’ve been so fortunate to have been exposed to so much in fashion. What do you think makes a good designer and what do you think makes a good model?
PAT CLEVELAND What makes a good designer is the way they live. And their generosity because I find that the designers who do the best, they’re not really doing it for themselves, they’re doing it for their team.
They’re feeding all these people.The people who sew, people who drape, the publicity. They have a corral of people they watch over. They have to do four seasons.They’re doing all these collections. That generosity, that spirit of leadership, the way they take care of everything and be creative, it’s a lot!
Dress & skirt: Nardos. Shoes: Manolo Blahnik. Earrings & ring: Doves by Doron Paloma.
CONSTANCE WHITE And a good model?
PAT CLEVELAND The lesson I always received growing up with the kind of showgirls in my family – my mother and my aunt – was first of all, cleanliness is next to godliness. And always be a lady. Well, that’s what I am. I’m born a girl.
CONSTANCE WHITE Cleanliness? To be a good model? You have to be clean?
PAT CLEVELAND You have to be very clean in your mind.
CONSTANCE WHITE Oh – I see what you mean. Clean thinking?
PAT CLEVELAND When you do things, your intentions have to be crystal clear. Why are you doing this? What does it represent.? Every day: You can be lazy or you can get out of bed and do something.
Being a good model is like being like an athlete.
You have to take care of your body, your mind, your soul. All of these things go into building a human being.
So, a model is really just a human being. You polish up the pearl. Polish the diamond. Your art becomes taking care of yourself, basically. Maybe you can inspire other people to take care of themselves.
Dress & skirt: Nardos. Shoes: Manolo Blahnik. Earrings & ring: Doves by Doron Paloma.
CONSTANCE WHITE Pat, what have you had to overcome to be this successful model? And how have you become the holistically successful person you are today?
PAT CLEVELAND The challenge is always not to get in your own way and have self doubt.
You know, in our business a lot of doors get slammed in your face. And a lot of things are very difficult to achieve. Like you say, “I wanna go over there and work with that one.’ But if you can’t, there’s always someone else.
I find in my career, I’m always working with new people. And that’s the great thing about it, there’s always something going on.
What was the other question? Stay sane. Don’t let it drive you crazy. Be like a farmer. Let the weeds grow sometimes. Then clean it out and start all over again.
CONSTANCE WHITE Pat that’s a wonderful way to wrap up our conversation. Thank you so much.
Jacket: Dries Van Noten. Necklace: Verdura.
Talent: Iconic supermodel Pat Cleveland @patcleveland.
Agency Muse Management NYC @musemodelsnyc.
Photographer: Tom Marvel @tommarvelphotography.
Creative Director: Cannon @thecannonmediagroup at Atelier Management @ateliermgmt.
Hair Stylist: Linh Nguyen @linhhair at SEE Management @seemanagement using Amika @amika.
Makeup Artist: Mark Williamson @markwilliamson45 at Artist Management @artistmanagement
using Makeup by Mario @makeupbymario & Bdellium Tools @bdelliumtools.
Manicurist: Casey @caseynails at The Wall Group @thewallgroup using Olive & June @oliveandjune.
Director: Murat Ozdemir @1muratozdemir1.
Director of Video: Edsta @edsta.
Production: Winnie Noan @winnie_noan.
Lead Stylist’s Assistant: Max Reid @lu3alo at She Is Maia @sheismaia_agency.
Digital Tech: Olivia Wohlers @wohliviaa.
Digital Artist: Theresa Hong at Cosmic Pixels @cosmicpixels_nyc.
Photographer’s Assistants: Michele Swain @michelewihelminaphotography | Eric Wallace @polymathicwallace |
Karim Chehimi@phillyk215 & Helen Chi @misshelenchic.
Grip: George Pepe @gspepe.
Fashion Team: Priscilla Martinez @priscillamartinez____ | Alice Chan @_alisss.c_ |
SofiaSinzmeyer @sofiazinsmeyer | Hailey Hendershot @haileyyhendershot | Mario Rubino @mariorubinoo_
Shot at Untitled NYC @un_nyc.
Special Thanks to Connor Kennedy.
Thanks to Jason and everyone at Untitled NYC.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
