Renauld White, model and former soap opera star, dies at 80

Pioneering model Renauld White, who paved the way for greater diversity in magazines and on designer runways, died on June 26 at the age of 80.

White was in hospice care at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan at the time of his death, according to his friend Jeffrey Banks, a fashion designer. The cause of death was not immediately known.

White's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. July 12 at Whigham Funeral Home in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey.

Throughout her career, White has called for greater representation in the fashion industry. In November 1979, White became the second black model to appear on the cover of GQ. Contrary to what other media reports say, the first black model to receive the honor was Urs Althaus in November 1977. And ten years earlier, musician Sammy Davis Jr. became the first black man to grace the magazine's cover men's clothing belonging to Condé Nast. .

White helped forge greater diversity on designer runways by modeling for A-listers like Bill Blass in 1969, as well as walking in shows for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. White also reportedly worked for Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Versace, Armani and Cerutti. White came out of retirement in 2023 to appear in an ad campaign for Dolce & Gabbana photographed by Steven Meisel.

Banks said Saturday that White “was a pioneer. There were very few black models at the time. He really broke barriers. When they threw a party in his honor in Newark for his 50th anniversary in the fashion industry, he was very proud of the progress he had made and how he opened doors for other people. »

White, who reportedly attended Rutgers University for a time, began working as a model in the 1960s. Banks recalls that as a teenager he saw a 1969 Look magazine article about fashion designer Stephen Burrows, which included a photo of White, Pat Cleveland and a few others. Two years later, while working for Ralph Lauren as a second assistant, Banks first met White at a fitting. The model had been hired for a fashion show Lauren was putting on at the 21 Club.

White grew up alongside models Denis LaMarsh, Rob Yoh, Kalani Durdan, Bob Clement, Joe McDonald and Bob Menna. Recalling how White was a trailblazer for other models, Banks said others like Charles Williamson and Althaus benefited from that. In addition to breaking down barriers in the industry, White was proud of his long career, which extended “well beyond” the time when many people would have stopped modeling, Banks said.

In a 2011 interview, White said he brought in agents from Wilhemina Models to allow more people of color to compete in the industry. He said, “I wanted to make a change. I really confronted the establishment about why there weren't more black male images. At first, I thought I was going to be thrown in jail and beaten up because of my approach. But then they realized they were wrong, that they were behind society and behind the times, and they had to listen to me.”

In that interview, White said he was offered a modeling gig because they thought he would fail. But he eventually proved himself by modeling in campaigns for Black Tie cologne, Macy's, Vitalis and Arrow Shirts. Throughout his career, White made sure to stay in good shape and maintain his appearance. With a black belt in karate, White worked out every day — frequenting the YMCA near his Upper West Side apartment and also toning up with home exercise equipment. Aside from his slightly peppered black hair, White showed no signs of his age and appeared in advertisements with models half his age, according to Banks.

Another pioneering model, Bethann Hardison, described White as “a great male model of the late '70s and '80s.” Having met White, who was a friend of her cousin, in the late '60s, Hardison recalled Saturday: “We all used to dance at the Palladium Latin club on Broadway in our late teens and early 20s. He was a nice, charming guy.

As the first successful black male model, White was protecting his legacy, Hardison said. “He worked for every designer men's brand, doing a lot of advertising, catalogs, editorials and also landing a beautiful GQ cover. [in 1979].”

Some soap opera fans know White from her two-year stint on CBS' “The Guiding Light” in the mid-'80s. Knowing that models often have a limited shelf life, White's goal was to retrain in the business of acting, according to Banks. He performed at the La MaMa Experimental Theater in downtown Manhattan and appeared in other plays. Musician Aretha Franklin sometimes called White to accompany her to events in New York, Banks said.

David Neeman of the Loyalty Foundation, an organization that helps underserved communities, described White, a former advisory board member, as “an extraordinary man, so kind, so patient, so caring and a tremendous mentor.”

Neeman “remembers vividly” the story White told to kids in the Open Minds mentoring program in 2019 about “coming to Wilhelmina, asking for an appointment, and then how getting an appointment the next day and how getting an appointment changed his life,” Neeman said. “He’s an absolute legend and a pioneer, and not just in fashion.”

White once said in an interview that he spoke to as many young people as possible, encouraging them to follow their dreams and aspire to bigger things beyond modeling. “Modeling is just a bridge. What are you going to do after you finish modeling? » White said: “I've had a career spanning over 30 years. They don't do that anymore today. I encourage them to do incredible things. Take the money, go to school, open a business, become an entrepreneur and be self-reliant. »

“He was the perfect gentleman. He was kind and helpful. I think that’s why his death was such a shock to people, because he was such a good person,” Banks said.