Statuesque Darine Stern was an in-demand, high fashion model throughout the 1970s. She was represented by Ford Models, Nina Blanchard, Ellen Hart and Shirley Hamilton Models of Chicago. Her compelling beauty, as well as her voluminous Afro, afforded Darine the respect of her peers.
Darine’s career began in a notable, yet unusual manner. In October 1971, she became the first African-American woman to grace the cover of Playboy magazine by herself. Nearly two years earlier, Playmate Jean Bell, the second African-American centerfold, appeared on the magazine cover in January 1970, but she was accompanied by three other ladies. Darine’s solo cover was the springboard for her modeling career.
Darine passed away in 1994, at the age of 46.
In 2009, the November cover of Playboy featured a nude Marge Simpson striking Darine’s pose.