My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – ROSHUMBA

A timeless Chicago beauty who has transcended from muse to mentor, Roshumba Williams is another product of fashion visionary Yves Saint Laurent. As aforementioned in my article on Martinique-born supermodel Mounia, Saint Laurent was known to many as one of the designers who pushed the use of black models in the fashion industry. Roshumba was one of those lucky models he worked with closely. The 6-foot-tall model was discovered in 1987, as a teenager in Paris. She had moved to Paris with nothing but $150 in her purse, but after attending many go-sees she was quickly signed. She became a hit on the runways of the world & one of the most sought after models of the 90s. After booking her first haute couture show with YSL, the exposure led her to be remarked by other designers & fashion editors. That quickly led to being booked by the likes of Chanel, Gianfranco Ferré, Christian Dior, Versace, Chantal Thomass, Victoria’s Secret, Giorgio Armani & Michael Kors.

Her fame grew through her many features in magazines such as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan & Vogue. As well as her many ad campaigns with Covergirl Cosmetics, Maybelline, Clairol & Hanes Hoisery. She has even appeared in feature films such as Woody Allen’s ‘Celebrity’, Robert Altman’s ‘Pret-a-Porter’ & the popular comedy film ‘Beauty Shop’. Roshumba is also the author of the popular first & second editions of ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Being A Model’, a deal she made with Penguin Publishing USA. In 2004 Roshumba became quite the TV personality by hosting several lifestyle & make-over shows, including Beautiful Homes, Amazing Homes & Fabulous Bathrooms for HGTV; Fox’s make-over show, Live Like a Star; WE’s Swimsuit Secrets Revealed & Travel Channel’s Beach Week; and was a correspondent for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in 2008. She is currently a judge on Oxygen Network’s biweekly hair-styling competition reality series, ‘Tease’, since 2007 & in 2010 she famously became judge & mentor on the reality tv competition series ‘She’s Got The Look’, where women 35 years & older compete to be the next supermodel.

Roshumba has been an inspiration to black women everywhere, including in the fashion industry. Pushing the envelope on racial issues. Most black models have admitted to being under the pressure of having to alter their appearance with long flowing hair that emulates that of the white models. Roshumba has had a seemingly fairytale-like career. But in an interview for The Ugly Side Of The Modeling Business by Essence Magazine, Roshumba says, “I think it’s really sad that time and time again I’m asked to adhere to a certain look or value that is justifiable only to certain people.” She added, “I’m constantly arriving at a photographer’s studio and being told that I have to wear a wig.” Roshumba is one of the few black models who still got a lot of work while sporting her short natural hair, refusing to alter her ethnic appearance too much. This was unheard of in the fashion & beauty industry at that time because black models were expected to wear wigs & hair pieces in order to emulate caucasian models. Designers respected her for her work ethic & individualism.

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – MOUNIA

My readers, who are largely from the Caribbean, must have been wondering when I would mention a black or Caribbean supermodel on my list. Well, the moment is here! The first black muse of Yves Saint Laurent, fashion pioneer, the incomparable 1970s supermodel, Mounia!

Born Monique-Antoine, Mounia is a native to the beautiful French Caribbean island of Martinique where she worked at the airport in Fort-de-France as an announcer & she was also an on-ground hostess at Orly airport in Paris. After being hired by Givenchy as a model, in 1976 an important American client walked out of Givenchy because Mounia modeled a suit in front of her. One of the many racist moments she will experience. After that incident, Mounia began to work with other designers such as Emanuel Ungaro & Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld hired her to do Chloe & his own line. When he took over Chanel, he hired Mounia for that house as well. She became the first black model to present the Chanel collection.

She was then chosen by YSL for her exotic features, flawless complexion & poise. She was also the first black model Yves Saint Laurent used in his haute couture shows, & was considered his favorite model. In fact, Laurent had an extreme liking for black models. He was one of the first designers to employ them, giving opportunities to other black models such as Iman & Naomi Campbell who both would also become icons in their own right.

In a 2008 article in W Magazine, Mounia recalls, “I was his first black muse…He helped open the door for black models. Sometimes I was his confidante, and I would sometimes inspire his creativity. He called me Moumounn. The collection that made me a celebrity was the one inspired by Porgy and Bess. I wore a pink pantsuit and a boater hat. I walked to ‘Summertime’ and really took on the character of Bess. Catherine Deneuve stood up and started clapping. The everyone stood up and called out ‘Bravo!’ Yves Saint Laurent peered around the curtain – a thing that he had never done before – to see what all of the commotion was about. The people were shouting ‘Bravo, Yves Saint Laurent!’ and ‘Brava, Mounia!’ He took me in his arms, and we kissed. This for me was history.”

After that, Mounia booked her first cover with WWD (Women’s Wear Daily). She would continue to book 14 other magazine covers & 27 pages in French Vogue. This was unheard of for a black model at that time! She was even a favorite with Versace, but Mounia would be YSL‘s muse for almost a decade & working almost exclusively with him. She retired from modeling in the 80s & became an acclaimed artist, having had her works displayed in galleries across France, the Ivory Coast, Monaco, Japan, Guyana & her homeland of Martinique. Mounia also became the first black model to write a book about modeling, entitled ‘Princesse Mounia’.

Mounia getting ready backstage with Yves Saint Laurent

An ad campaign Mounia did in 1979 for YSL

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – NADJA AUERMANN

A platinum blonde, blue-eyed beauty with legs for miles! This German stunner is one of the most successful models of all time. And you won’t believe her secret!

Born to two successful bankers in West Berlin, Nadja Auermann never actually thought of becoming a model. In fact, her original desire was to be an architect or to pursue a career in politics. However, after leaving school with the equivalent of a high school diploma, she had decided to be a waitress until she made up her mind on what path she should take. A woman suggested she try modeling, & as fate would have it, she was discovered by a scout while sitting in a coffee shop in 1989. Her first gig? Posing for a travel catalogue. Not very glamorous, but unknowingly to her, she would go on to work for the most elite of fashion & become one of the highest paid model ever.

In 1990, she signed with Karin’s Models in Paris. Unfortunately, that agreement did not work out to her expectations so she left Karin’s Models & signed with Elite Model Management (Paris). She immediately started working for French Vogue & got her first ad campaign with Benneton. But Auermann wasn’t really being noticed nor causing any kind of buzz in the industry. So when it was time for the upcoming ready-to-wear shows, guess what she did?? Her secret? She went PLATINUM BLONDE! That’s right! This supermodel known for her gorgeous platinum blonde tresses is NOT a natural blonde. (However, she has gone to brunette in most recent times.)

It worked! Since her new do, everyone from Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani & Hermès came knocking! Fashion designer Valentino once commented on her physical resemblance to Marlene Dietrich. She would also go on to appear iconic Versace campaigns shot by Richard Avedon which shows her with Kristen McMenamy, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell & Stephanie Seymour in different shots modeling mini skirts. She has also appeared on countless covers & editorials of different fashion magazines, such as American, British, French, Italian & German editions of Vogue, W, V, Harper’s Bazaar & i-D. Just to name a few.

Kristen McMenamy & Nadja (right)by Richard Avedon for Versace’s campaign Spring 1995

Nadja on Harper’s Bazaar September 1994

One of the many Versace campaigns Nadja (first from left) was featured in

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – MARISA BERENSON!

Dubbed ‘the girl of the 70s’ by Yves Saint Laurent himself & being the granddaughter of one of the most iconic fashion designers to ever live, Elsa Schiaparelli, Marisa Berenson was destined to become one of fashion’s favorite darlings. Also, her maternal grandfather was Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor, a Theosophist & psychic medium.

The New York native was known for leading an extremely extravagant lifestyle, which came to no surprise as her parents’ extraordinary friends included iconic stars such as Dirk Bogarde, Greta Garbo & Audrey Hepburn, who were guests at the family’s lavish Christmas parties. Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor-in-chief of American Vogue was also another regular at her parents’ soirees. And being the granddaughter of a Count probably also gave her severe social leverage.

Berenson’s signature wide eyes & spiky eyelashes rose to popularity in the 60s but she later landed the July 1970 issue of Vogue. Since then, she appeared in numerous fashion layouts in Vogue in the early 1970s & her sister Berry was a photographer for the magazine as well! She was often called ‘The Queen of the Scene’ due to her frequent appearances at nightclubs & many social events in the 70s, & was another close friend of the famous artist Andy Warhol. (Warhol liked to surround himself with the most beautiful & influential of characters, usually models & actresses. He too was a very prominent socialite.)

The spectacular beauty of Lithuanian, Italian, Swiss, French & Egyptian ancestry, later became an acclaimed actress with many prominent film roles in movies such as Death In Venice, Barry Lyndon, Praying For Time & Cabaret (for which she received two Golden Globe nominations, a BAFTA nomination & an award from the National Board of Review).

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – CHINA MACHADO!

This next supermodel is a living legend. Inspiring. Revolutionary. Game-changer. She embodies those very words.

China Machado was born Noelie Dasouza Machado in Shanghai, where she grew up until moving to South America, then finally to Paris where she met Hubert de Givenchy. Machado was a singer at a nightclub in Paris when she met Givenchy & immediately became a model for his atelier. She then quickly became one of the most requested runway models in the 50′s & the highest paid model in Europe at that time. She would work with a designer for three months, as they would create dresses specifically for her. That’s how the industry worked at the time, and China got the most work.

In September 1958, she arrived in New York. She instantly met with the then-editor of Harper’s Bazaar, the influential Diana Vreeland, who put her in a fashion show right away. Machado opened the show & was spotted by legendary photographer/artist Richard Avedon, who she would go on to work with exclusively for three years as one of his models for Harper’s Bazaar. She gave up modeling & became one of Harper’s Bazaar senior fashion editors & styled many of Avedon’s ads including the Revlon ‘Unforgettable Women’ campaigns. Machado made an appearance in the revolutionary fashion show of Palace de Versailles in 1973. This show revolutionized the outlook of runway fashion. But it wasn’t until 2011, when she was offered the opportunity to return to the spotlight by signing with IMG Models at 81 years old! Making her the oldest signed AND working model in history. Since then she has been photographed many times over for magazines such as New York Magazine, Vogue & Harper’s Bazaar.

Now, this isn’t the first time Machado has broken the mold. She was also the first non caucasian model to grace the cover of a fashion magazine, gracing the front of Harper’s Bazaar in an image shot by Avedon in 1959. Machado is also internationally recognized as the world’s first Asian supermodel! THUS, making her more than worthy of making my list of great supermodels of ALL TIME!!

Bow to the legend that is China Machado.

How she looks nowadays. NO PLASTIC SURGERY

from a spread she did for FASHION Magazine in 2012

One of Avedon’s shots of Machado

The game-changing cover of Harper’s Bazaar(1959)featuring Machado as first non caucasian cover model

Harper’s Bazaar June 1961

Met Gala Fashion 2013: Best & Worst Dressed

This year’s Met Gala was all about opulence, as this year’s theme took the punk route. If only Rihanna was able to make an appearance, we all know she would have stolen the spotlight & the top spot on every best dressed list. Nonetheless, The stars stepped out & some embraced this theme like never before. Some soaring & some crashing & burning. Let’s take a look at some of the best & worst looks out that night. Please keep in mind that these are MY opinions & may not be the desired results of others.

BEST DRESSED: Cameron Diaz in Stella McCartney. Not punk, but still rocking it.

BEST DRESSED: Nicole Richie in Topshop

BEST DRESSED: Supermodel Anja Rubik

BEST DRESSED: Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs

BEST DRESSED: Anne Hathaway in Valentino Couture

WORST DRESSED: Beyonce

WORST DRESSED: Kim Kardashian

WORST DRESSED: Madonna

WORST DRESSED: Sarah Jessica Parker

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of ALL TIME- Bianca Jagger!

I was sitting at home one day, going through various fashion magazines as I usually do & I came up with the idea for this list. To list great supermodels that I feel have passed through the industry & left something unforgettable.

Inspiring, legendary, revolutionary, muses, glamazons & game-changers. All of these are words used to describe the following models who have graced the most prestigious runways & magazine covers, inspired top photographers or have made monumental changes within the industry over the years. Please keep in mind that this list has been listed at random & not numerically judged. Each model will have her own individual post.

Let’s start with BIANCA JAGGER!

Bianca was mostly known as a style icon & for her marriage to legendary rock star & frontman of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger. Bianca was also a prominent jet-set celebrity of the 1970s, known particularly as a close friend of famous artist Andy Warhol & one of the most frequent patrons of the famed Manhattan nightclub Studio 54 which has been a hub for fashion’s elite social scene.

The Nicaragua native who stands only at 5ft 6in, also starred in films/tv shows such as Flesh Colour, All You Need Is Cash
(also known as The Rutles), Miami Vice, Street Hawk, Hotel, The Colbys & Success.

Bianca is now a Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador, Founder & Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, Member of the Executive Director’s Leadership Council of Amnesty International USA & a Trustee of the Amazon Charitable Trust. She has touched on controversial topics such as genocide, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the war on terror, war crimes against humanity, crimes against future generations, the former Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, Central America, Iran, Iraq, India, children and women’s rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, climate change, the rainforest, renewable energy, corporate social responsibility, the ensuing erosion of civil liberties and human rights & the death penalty.

Bianca on the cover of Vogue, March 1974

Bianca at nightclub Studio 54

Bianca on the cover of Vanity Fair, November 1986

Bianca in British Vogue, December 1974