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The World's First Supermodel?
I was wondering-is Janice Dickerson really the world's first supermodel-who's career didn't really kick off until the 80's? There have been other ladies long before she was even born who stood out in the industry-so my question is why has she been named the world's first supermodel? What about beautiful Dorian Leigh who's name was the first model to earn a household name back in the 1940's? Or Suzy Parker who followed Dorian after she was introduced to Eileen Ford, the owner of the successful Ford Modeling Agency in the 50's? And Cheryl Tiegs (spelling?) of the 60's? Even Gia Carangi of the 70's? Four decades of women before her. What do you all think of it? Feb 22 06 06:08 am Link She calls herself the world's first supermodel... and believe me, not everyone agrees with it... Feb 22 06 06:09 am Link Actually - Janice claims to have coined the term "Super Model"! I don't need to recount how that happened here - just read her autobiography. JAY carreon PHOTOGRAPHER Feb 22 06 06:14 am Link Janice is just the world's most annoying supermodel. Feb 22 06 06:19 am Link I think she is fantastic. she does not beat around the bush doesn't like people who live in a friggin bubble and says it how it is. I admire that and she has the reasons to back it up too!! xx shelly xx Feb 22 06 08:53 am Link Chu wrote: wow Chu Im shocked that you didnt mention a slew of African American sistahs Feb 22 06 08:54 am Link images by elahi wrote: ok..so name some then i didn't know there were a slew of african american women as models in the 40s through 70s Feb 22 06 08:59 am Link Chu wrote: I dunno? Feb 22 06 09:01 am Link Chu wrote: What the heck is a "supermodel" anyway? Feb 22 06 09:03 am Link to those posters who raised the much needed question: what is a supermodel? thank you hmmmm....it has to do with the "model as franchise"...how many endorsement deals...how many diverse media platforms and ultimately how much money youre making...... with that as criteria, now you can scientifically determine who the first was Feb 22 06 09:05 am Link CrazyIsabelAurora wrote: I didn't name a slew of African American or any other races because technically let's face reality back then society wasn't accepting to women of color. Still today there are magazines that have never had a black (and rarely other races) women inside of them, let alone on the cover. Feb 22 06 09:15 am Link CrazyIsabelAurora wrote: This Might Help You...."Skin Deep" (Inside the World of the Black Fashion Models) Feb 22 06 09:40 am Link JD claims that, but much of what her book says is trash talk, too. She chooses to credit friends who did nothing for her along the way and ignore those that actually gave her a leg up. According to Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women by Michael Gross, the first known use of the term "supermodel" was in the 1940s in a how-to book for models by an agent named Clyde Matthew Dessner. The term also was used on a magazine cover in 1972 to describe model Naomi Simms. -Don Feb 22 06 09:56 am Link Anthony Cole wrote: *heads to Barnes and Noble* Feb 22 06 10:02 am Link D. Brian Nelson wrote: hmmm interesting.... Feb 22 06 10:04 am Link Susi wrote: LOL! She certainly has a big head. Feb 22 06 10:05 am Link CrazyIsabelAurora wrote: **right behind you Isabel, with a cup of Starbucks and my Barnes and Nobles card** Feb 22 06 10:09 am Link One word.........GIA Feb 22 06 10:11 am Link From what I've heard, the term "Supermodel" no longer exists, it ended in the late 80's, early 90's. Janice claims to be the world's first supermodel cause she claims to have made up the name. She still acts and thinks she's a supermodel and she isn't. She drove me nuts on the surreal life on the episode where they were building a playground for less fortunate kids. If Carey Hart wasn't there, they would have been screwed. Feb 22 06 10:12 am Link toss up between either Supergirl or Wonderwoman... I lean towards Wonderwoman cause she had that lasso thing going... not that I'm into that... never mind, I won't get into it now Feb 22 06 10:18 am Link I watched Janice on E! where she talked about how she is the worlds first SuperModel because she came up with that term. I dunno, after watching that show about her, I'm still on the fence. She takes some amazing pictures though, but that "i'm better than you" attitude just doesnt look good on anyone! Feb 22 06 10:22 am Link CrazyIsabelAurora wrote: well it seems that you need to study your craft a little more huh? LOL Feb 22 06 10:28 am Link Anthony Cole wrote: LOL thank you for getting it there before me....man , these so called models who keep inserting their beautiful foots in their beautiful mouths...they need to READ Feb 22 06 10:29 am Link For the type of work I do, Andromeda was probably the first. Feb 22 06 10:31 am Link Chu wrote: Chu you have just made yourself loom real uninformed...see, seems that there is a connection bewteen researching the topics: Feb 22 06 10:31 am Link question i have this superhero job i am doing and a lot of the CHARACTER i can't seem to find and alot of them seen to need to rent or just go to the comics to get a idea of what they look like. i mean the computer and internet is still not helpful in that as i that it will be. so any body things they can help me out i tried software like LINEWIRE to see if i can download things like this but been no help. Marco (323) 533-5651 [email protected] Feb 22 06 10:33 am Link Janice WAS a supermodel for sure, I dont know about her being the first nor being 1 now but I think she needs to sit her but down somewhere and let the Giselles have their time. It seems like she still wants recognition for stuff she did in the 80's. Her time has passed. She needs to let it go. And you know whats so funny. I never heard of Janice Dickinson until ANTM (America's Next Top Model). It could be because i'm young but i've heard of Iman,Rachel Hunter,Gia Carangi,and others. I know most of these girls came after her but I still hear their names today. So you would think that someone who was the world's first supermodel would have been a little more popular than she was before ANTM. Feb 22 06 10:34 am Link Olaf S wrote: She is a model with super powers,..able to leap tall buildings etc etc,.. Feb 22 06 10:40 am Link Personally, I feel that Janice's demeanor and actions benefit her. As being a model of the past and hanging onto what was probably the best thing ever in her life, she has to stay in the limelight. With doing so, these adverse actions create an image...negative or not...it informs a lot of the younger models about her and her fame, etc. She is still making money off a career that is probably long gone...who is smarter? You for bashing her when YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS INDUSTRY or her for making money off acting a fool? I mean c'mon people...this business is about who you know and what you say/do. Be mindful and respectful of that, you never know who is checking out your professionalism! Feb 22 06 10:53 am Link CrazyIsabelAurora wrote: Well she should have had the book in her Fashion collection in th first place :--) Feb 22 06 11:01 am Link CrazyIsabelAurora wrote: Well she should have had the book in her Fashion collection in th first place :--) Feb 22 06 11:01 am Link Beverly Johnson Portrait of a Lady - "Peter NygÃ¥rd Signature makes my life complete, what I wear is how I feel â completeâ? Beverly Johnson is a supermodel, actress, writer, dedicated volunteer, and a proud mother to her only daughter âAnansaâ. She is also one of the most celebrated African American women in the world. Her list of Modelling acccomplishments include: Over 500 magazine covers, thousands of editorial pages, and hundreds of advertising campaigns. Beverly said, âThere are many events that have shaped my life, but there are two that are prominent for me. Becoming the first African American to grace the cover of Vogue magazine in August 1974 was a historical moment in time, the colorbarrier was broken â and of course becoming a mother. "Peter NygÃ¥rd Signature makes my life complete, what I wear is how I feel â completeâ? Born in Buffalo, N.Y.; she began modelling in 1970 and became one of the first African American models to receive both national and international acclaim opening doors for the likes of Iman, Maomi Campbell and Tyra Banks. In 1974 Beverly Johnson was the first to appear on the cover of American Vogue, in 1975 the first on the cover of French Elle. Ms. Johnson has a host of other covers to her name including Cosmopoliton, Glamour, and Essence. Beverly Johnson etablished herself amongst the premiere models of the 70ties and 80ties. Modelling opened the doors for her acting career. She has made appearances in many films including The Baron (â77), Ashanti(â79), and more recently The Meteor Man (â93), How to Be a Player (â97) nad has also guest stared in various television series. Not only is Beverly Johnson an accomplished fashion model, she is also a successful business woman, with her own Wig, Eyewear, and Hair Care Companies. Life unfolds many great experiences and Opportunities. Beverly said, âI do live my life to the fullest. Life is for the living, to live life is to love life, enjoy everyday that is given, not takeing anything for granted.â? Rejection is something that is inevitable in the modeling world. Beverly stated, âThat, what does not break us only makes us stronger.â? Obviously, this philosophy has taken her to reach the highest aspirations she had set for herself. Feb 22 06 11:04 am Link i despise ignorance...in the age of the internet there is no excuse Feb 22 06 11:04 am Link Invisible Beauty Invisible Beauty is a proposed documentary that tells the story of black fashion models and their relationship to the fashion industry. This documentary will be upbeat and fast-paced, showing the glamour associated with the fashion industry and all that it attracts. It will include both celebrities and image-makers. Between the 1940s and 2000, the black fashion models image has revealed itself, yet only from time to time has it actually made an impact. Is the lack of black fashion models on runways and editorial pages of leading fashion magazines due to racism, ignorance or economics? Some of the most beautiful and exotic women in the world will tell their life experiences in the world of fashion, starting with Dorethea Towles, who went to Paris and in the 1950s and worked in the cabine for Christian Dior, Schiaparelli and Balmain. It will go on to include Helen Williams (a top model in the early 1960s), Beverly Johnson, Grace Jones, Pat Cleveland, Naomi Sims, Iman, Veronica Webb, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, male model Tyson Beckford and many others each providing insights and a better understanding of what the public sees in magazines and on television. These glamorous and not so glamorous stories will bring us to Alek Wek, Oluchi, and Liya, the current black faces accepted by the fashion design world today. The story cannot be told without going to Africa to trace the origins of the African model to understand this new mystique. Born in Uganda and raised in the Los Angeles, Kiara has been one of the industryÃs most successful black models since the late eighties and will be the narrative spine of this film. With her rich dark chocolate complexion and her naturally tight curled hair (instead of straightened and blown dry), Kiara is thought of as the smallest working girl in the industry. Kiara is gratified by her Vogue magazine cover and other achievements, but there is much that she will comment on about what really goes on behind the fashion door and the making of a top model. You will see that process: the discovery, the grooming, the crafting and marketing of an image, the rejection and the determination, the first job that puts them on the map and the maintenance. Most of all, itÃs about being at the right place at the right time. For example, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks came along within a couple of years of each other. Naomi was the first to hit with fashion makers but, although Tyra was successful, she was never the editorial darling like Naomi. In terms of industry politics, these two Black models were pitted against each other. Ultimately, Tyra chose the commercial route of print/television advertising and catalogs and left Naomi to remain the ìchosenî fashion image. This film will also capture those who make the decisions about that ìnext imageî, the celebrated fashion photographers who shoot for the leading fashion magazines around the world, the designers from the fashion capitals (Milan, London, Paris, New York) and of course, the pop culture celebrities (Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Andre Leon Talley, Steven Meisel, Sean ìPuffyî Combs, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Issey Miyake, Betsy Johnson) attracted to fashion and models. The use of Black fashion models gained momentum in the 1970s. During the mid 1980s booming economy, there were more black models working and being put on the pages and even on the covers of fashion magazines, as well as fashion catalogs and print advertising. Bethann Hardison and Iman created The Black Girls Coalition in 1988, initially to recognize the success of the many working black models. But in 1992 it became necessary to confront the industry at a well-covered press conference with the fact that, although there was a large ethnic purchasing power, there were few ethnic (Black, Latin, Asian) images representing products in advertising. Since then, things have greatly improved within commercial advertising, but in fashion, black models are barely visibleÃagain. Today, as fashion designers present their collections, the question still remains: Why aren't there more black models being used? Models influence international standards of beauty and therefore this lack of black presence affects general racial consciousness and the self-esteem of young girls, especially black girls. We hope to bring a closer view to an economically successful industry that shapes how we view beauty, style, what Ãs hot and what Ãs not. Feb 22 06 11:06 am Link before after Super? I don't think so. Feb 22 06 11:13 am Link Carrie Land wrote: well I wasnt "bashing" her. I was simply stating what it was. dont get me wrong, I love Janice too. She has had a hard life and she rose up out of that. I just think she tends to be a little attention seeking at times and that tends to be a little childish. I'm glad that she's starting her own modeling agency too. I rather see her give younger models the spotlight instead of trying to hog the spotlight by using a career that has been long gone. Feb 22 06 11:37 am Link twiggy was the world's first "supermodel" sure there were other famous models before her but none were "supermodels" or had as much fame Feb 22 06 11:46 am Link Lamar Scott wrote: Wasn't saying you or anyone in particular...just in general. Glad you didn't get offended at least. I totally understand what you are saying. Feb 22 06 12:22 pm Link images by elahi wrote: I'm shocked that you didn't either. Unless I haven't gotten to that post yet. Feb 22 06 12:26 pm Link And don't forget about Mary Pickford. Although she was "better" known for her filmwork, she did a fantastic job as a pinup girl in the 1910's. Feb 22 06 12:28 pm Link |