Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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• Born in 1930 to a French-Canadian mother and African American father, Harrelle grew up in a Montreal orphanage after family tragedy.<\/li>\r\n \t
• She became Quebec and Canada's first prominent Black model in the 1950s-60s, working with top designers like Michel Robichaud.<\/li>\r\n \t
• Despite her groundbreaking success, she faced racism and was often the only Black model presenting collections in the homogenous industry.<\/li>\r\n \t
• Harrelle reinvented herself multiple times, starred in award-winning films, published an autobiography, and died in 1994, leaving a trailblazing legacy.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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  Those who knew or worked with Johanne Harrelle say she was poised, charming, with a magnetic air. The first Black woman to gain prominence in Quebec and Canada\u2019s fashion industry, Harrelle was an enigma.<\/p>

  Simply Johanne<\/em>, a 2024 documentary by Nadine Valcin, is the latest tribute celebrating the life and career of Harrelle. It features interviews with fashion designers who worked with Harrelle, as well as friends and loved ones.<\/p>

  \u201cWhat was it like to be a Black woman in the 1950s and 1960s before I was a model? I was a Black francophone. I was seen as exotic. I was seen as fun, different and charming. I perfected my accent and diction. I didn\u2019t speak in joual, and that was on purpose,\u201d says Harrelle in the documentary.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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