Renauld White, who made history as a fashion model in the 1960’s and 70s before moving on to star in a major soap opera in th 1980s, has died. He was 80.
White’s passing was confirmed by his good friend and fashion designer Jeffrey Banks, who said he passed away after living in hospice care at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, New York, according to WWD (Women’s Wear Daily).
White’s funeral is scheduled for July 12 at 11 a.m. at the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, New Jersey, where he was born and raised.
White was a trailblazer who fought for more Black inclusivity in magazines and on runways. In 1979, White made history as the second African American to grace the cover of GQ magazine.
Before that, White became nationally renowned in the fashion and modeling industries for modeling at shows for icons like Ralph Lauren, Calvion Klein and Donna Karan. He also did work for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Versace, Armani and Cerutti.
Banks called White “a groundbreaker. There were very few Black models at the time. He really broke barriers. When they had a party for him in Newark for his 50-year anniversary in the fashion industry, he was very proud of the progress and how he opened the doors for other people.”
After he had become an established star in the modeling game, White pressed the industry about creating more opportunities for people of color to get jobs and, just as importantly, to be featured on magazine covers.
“I wanted to bring about change. I really confronted the establishment about why there were not more Black male images,” White said, according to WWD. “At first, I thought I was going to get thrown in jail and beaten up because of my approach. But then they realized that they were wrong and that they were behind society and behind the times, and that they had to listen to me.”
While White lasted longer than the average model in the famously grueling industry, he always had his eye on the future. After transitioning into theater acting, White became known as one of the star of the daytime soap opera “The Guiding Light” in the 1980s.
