Style Icons: Female »Veruschka

Iconic Model

Both literally and figuratively, the Amazonian model Veruschka is larger than life. From her explosive scene in Blow Up which rocketed her to world wide supermodel stardom, she was the modeling world’s most mysterious and alluring. So what if it was contrived – if she wanted to change her name and background to appear more enigmatic, the magazines paying her 10,000 a day didn’t seem to mind.

But Veruschka is in possession a creative and kind of bonkers mind. She was often allowed to art direct her own shoots and has continued with self portrait photography (often of herself in body paint as wild animals) since leaving the fashion world behind. She left because of a rift with new Vogue editor, Grace Mirabella, who unlike Diana Vreeland, couldn’t appreciate the exotic beauty of Veruschka. Mirabella suggested she cut her hair to have more mass appeal. Veruschka said no.

This is a woman who lives her life as a nomad, at one time recently, living in Dumbo with a lover and many cats, riding her bike around town veiled in her own raggedy Bohemia. She is not a woman who was going compromise her appearance to look more ordinary. And that’s why we love her.


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Posted on May 5, 2008

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