Always Rebelling: The Grace Jones Story

Credit: Gracejones.com

Supermodel, muse, feminist, actress, musician, icon, legend… need we say more?

Grace Jones is a force of nature. She started modeling back in the 60s, in the 70s she was dancing and singing, and in the 80s, she was doing it all, plus acting. She doesn’t like the term icon or legend, but generations of women grew up watching her fierce moves and finding inspiration in everything Jones represents.

Shock always sells. You know? But you could shock in good taste.

The Grammy-nominated artist and James Bond lady is still considered to be a controversial and mysterious figure. She was born in Jamaica in 1948, but the exact year might not be correct. Jones doesn’t care about correcting people. She was 12 when she came to New York, and it’s hard to imagine that Jones was a shy child. The 60s brought change to the whole world, and the upcoming star found herself working as a go-go dancer. Her razor-sharp cheekbones and skinny frame allowed her to become a model, and that’s how she ended up in Paris.

I just go with the flow, I follow the yellow brick road. I don’t know where it’s going to lead me, but I follow it.

Jones went to Paris in 1970, dropping out of college after being signed with Wilhelmina Models. That’s where she met and shared an apartment with fellow supermodels Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange. All three ladies became iconic in their ways, but the road to success was harder for Jones. In a world where only one black supermodel was allowed, and that was Beverly Johnson at the time, finding modeling gigs wasn’t easy. Luckily, designers Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Montana, Kenzo Takada, and Azzedine Alaïa, fell in love with Jones. However, Elite’s boss at the time wasn’t thrilled, and their fallout brought up severe questions regarding the fashion world and racism.

 I can be a pain, but most of all, I can be a pleasure.

The Parisian fashion scene welcomed Jones for her androgynous, dark-skinned appearance. She was a cross-dresser for a La Perla photoshoot when the male models for the shoot got sunburned. But Paris wasn’t enough, and coming back to New York brought new wins, Studio 54, and new challenges.

If you are lonely when you are alone, you’re in bad company.

In 1977, Jones shaved her hair and eyebrows and recorded a disco album. She stated: “When I perform on stage, I become those male bullies, those dominators from my childhood. That’s probably why it’s so scary, because they scared me.” The triple threat artist added: “I enjoy being feminine, but I like role-swapping.” Andy Warhol was another person fascinated by Jones’ ability to overcome gender barriers and move like the most powerful creature that ever graced the planet.

Grace Jones was called a diva due to disagreements with her coworkers. Roger Moore and Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed that she was “too tough.” However, their dislike didn’t give any examples, so it’s not too farfetched to understand that being a strong woman in the 80s was not going to make you popular.

One creates oneself.

Grace Jones’s memoir, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs, revealed a lot but promised that some things would stay in the past. She does talk about the criticism she faced from black people for choosing white partners. On the other hand, the amount of racism she received for being black is beyond our understanding. Despite all the talks about Jones’s rebellious and robust personality, she welcomed new artists and went as far as to give Lady Gaga advice on her career. If you’re looking for an inspiring biography, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs should be on your list.

I’m always rebelling. I don’t think I’ll ever stop.

Coming from a religious family and being banned from Disneyworld are just tiny parts of the always energetic, ever chancing Grace Jones, we know. Despite her shocking moments, Jones always had class and taste. And somehow, after all these decades, there is still so much we have yet to learn about her work and life.

Previous
Jean-Paul Gaultier’s 50 Years in Fashion