The Unbreakable Star of the Runway: The Story of Pat Cleveland

A Harlem Girl With a Revolutionary Vow

Pat Cleveland was born on June 23, 1950, in New York City.  Raised in Harlem by her mother — the artist Lady Bird Cleveland (also known as Ladybird Strickland) — Pat grew up surrounded by art, music, and creativity.  Her father, Johnny Johnston, was a jazz saxophonist, lending even more creative energy to her upbringing. 

From an early age, Pat showed design instincts — she made her own clothes and embraced fashion not just as clothing, but as self-expression. 

Her life changed dramatically one day in the mid-1960s, when, at around fifteen, she was noticed on a New York subway platform by an assistant editor from Vogue. Impressed by her bold, self-curated style, she was invited to visit the magazine’s offices. 

That chance encounter set the stage for a career that would defy the limitations of race and tradition in the fashion world.

When Runway Became Revolution

Pat’s first big break came not as a model, but as an emerging designer featured in Vogue — only to quickly pivot into modeling when she joined the traveling Ebony Fashion Fair national tour.

Touring the American South with Ebony exposed her to the raw realities of racism, even while showcasing high fashion. In her own words, those early shows — sometimes staged on shaky tables with inadequate lighting — were a brutal but essential training ground. 

Undeterred, Pat signed with a modeling agency (first Wilhelmina, later Ford) and set her sights on Europe. In 1971 she moved to Paris — but not simply to chase fame. She made a vow: she would not return to the United States until a Black model appeared on the cover of US Vogue.

In Paris, the tides truly turned. She became a house model for Karl Lagerfeld’s Chloé, and swiftly began working with the biggest names in fashion — from Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent to Oscar de la Renta, Dior, Thierry Mugler, and more. 

Her presence was magnetic — she didn’t just wear clothes; she told stories with them. And in 1973, she helped cement a turning point for fashion: she walked in the landmark Battle of Versailles Fashion Show, where American and French designers faced off — and she stood among the vanguard of Black models redefining beauty on the global stage.

Stylists, photographers, editors, and designers took notice. She worked with icons like Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Andy Warhol, and many more. 

For many, she became the first-ever “Black supermodel” — a title that would resonate through generations.

Crafting a Legacy Beyond the Camera

Pat’s influence didn’t fade with youth. In the 1990s, she founded her own modeling agency in Italy — a move born out of a desire to create opportunities for other models, particularly those often overlooked by mainstream agencies. 

She remained active on runways and in editorials for decades. In 2003, she walked for Chanel alongside her daughter, and in later years appeared in campaigns for high-profile houses like Lanvin and Zac Posen. 

Her dramatic flair — the confident walk, the theatrical poses, the ability to “move a dress like it was alive” — challenged the notion of fashion as detached glamour. Instead, she brought soul, rhythm, and pain-to-power storytelling. 

In a 2025 conversation with Vogue Adria, she reflected on the early years — the near-constant rejections, the heartbreak of being replaced in photos because of race, and the stubborn decision to make Europe her home until representation changed. 

Her legacy isn’t just fashion history — it’s civil-rights history. She helped redefine beauty standards, smashed barriers, and made the runway accessible to those who looked like her.

Life Off the Runway: Family, Faith, and Resilience

Pat’s personal life reflects the same depth and complexity that defined her career. In 1982 she married Dutch former model and photographer Paul van Ravenstein; together they have two children, Noel van Ravenstein and Anna Cleveland, the latter following in her mother’s footsteps to become a model herself. 

Her journey has not been without hardship. In March 2019, while walking the runway for Tommy Hilfiger at Paris Fashion Week, she was struck by a severe illness and diagnosed with colon cancer.

The fashion community rallied behind her — designers, photographers, models all contributed to a crowdfunding campaign to help cover her medical expenses. 

True to her resilient spirit, she made a comeback later that year: she walked in runway shows for the 2020 Spring season, embodying a message that beauty — and strength — can survive adversity. 

Today, she remains devoted to her art, creativity, and legacy. Off the runway, she paints, designs capsule collections, and has spoken openly about her spiritual journey and commitments. 

Estimating the Fortune: What’s Pat Cleveland’s Net Worth?

Publicly available estimates place Pat Cleveland’s net worth at around USD 10 million. 

That figure reflects decades of work — runway shows, magazine shoots, ad campaigns, her modeling agency, and the enduring value of being a pioneering face in fashion. Given her continued visibility in recent years (including editorials as recently as 2023) and her status as a legend in the industry, her financial legacy likely echoes her cultural and symbolic one.

The Legacy That Still Walks

Pat Cleveland’s birthday, June 23, remains a symbolic marker — not just of her birth, but of the many “firsts” she brought to fashion: first Black supermodel, first runway star of color, first generation of models to demand respect beyond color lines.

Her story is more than glamour — it’s grit. From Harlem subways to Paris couture houses; from being dismissed in castings to defining what beauty could be on runways worldwide.

For today’s generation of models, especially models of color, she is a direct line to a hard-won legacy. For fashion lovers everywhere, she is proof that style without soul can only go so far.

And for those who believe in staying true to self — from the clothes you wear to the paths you walk — Pat Cleveland’s life remains an inspiring blueprint.