Third Wave Fashion

Fashion Icon Friday: Elle Macpherson

Her nickname is “The Body,” and rightfully so. Elle Macpherson is still one of the most stunning women in modeling and entertainment. Born Eleanor Nancy Gow, this Australian lingerie goddess did not stop at the photo shoots, she has gone on to be the founder and creative force behind a number of business ventures.

Her rise to fame began in New York City when she signed with Click Model Management, which helped her land the covers of Elle (how fitting), GQ, Vogue, and Playboy. Eventually her body gained her superstardom when she first appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue in the 80s. She helped mold a new outlook on supermodels by catapulting their image to celebrity.

Today, you’ll find her overlooking her businesses, which include a lingerie collection, Elle Macpherson Intimates, and a number of TV series, that includes NBC’s hit show, Fashion Star.

Fashion Icon Friday: Erin Wasson

It’s 1997 and a polaroid of “this skinny girl, all legs and short, curly hair” comes across the desk of Tammy Theis, then staffer at Fashion!Dallas and today co-founder of Wallflower Management.  This was the picture of current supermodel bombshell, Erin Wasson, and because we’re all about Texas this week, we’re giving an extra special shout out to the beauty from down south.  

She was born and raised in Irving, Texas and found superstardom in her mid-teens with campaigns for J.Crew, Tiffany & Co. Rolex, William Rast, and Michael Kors, amongst others.  She even followed in the timeless footsteps of the greats before her and modeled for Max Factor.  Still early in her career, there isn’t much to say about the blonde sex symbol, but one thing’s clear: she’s here to stay, expanding her career now into the film industry where she appeared as Vadoma in the 2012 horror flick, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  So we’ll be watching, and for now, we’re giving her all the credit in the world to become the icon we know she will be.

Got a little bit more time?  Check out this piece from the Esquire video series, Waking Up Next to a Beautiful Woman: Erin Wasson.

Fashion Icon Friday: Jean Shrimpton

“Model of the Year.” “World’s highest paid model.” “Most Photographed In The World.” “Most famous model.” “The It Girl.” “The Face.” Those are all the accolades that have been received by none other than Jean Shrimpton, which is a far stretch from her former nickname of “the shrimp.”  Perhaps the most interesting facet to this woman’s career is that little is actually known about Shrimpton’s personal life and yet she was on the minds of millions around the world for nearly two decades and beyond.

Born and raised in London, Jean quickly gained attention because of her wide doe-eyes, wispy eyelashes, and sexy pouty lips.  In the 60s she was at the top of her game gaining heed on the global level and quickly becoming the most sought-after face in the fashion industry. This guaranteed her a string of public romances that only fortified the world’s celebration of Shrimpton’s prowess.

Her fame and intoxicating good-looks are definitely what has made Jean Shrimpton a who’s who in the fashion books but it is her intense and fierce career that definitely made her iconic.

Fashion Icon Friday: Suzy Parker

Known for her carrot red hair and pale green eyes, Suzy Parker nearly missed her chance at super stardom.  The younger sister of renowned top model, Dorian Leigh, Suzy only met with Eileen and Jerry Ford (of Ford Modeling Agency) because Dorian arranged the meeting.  

Before agreeing to go to Ford, Dorian phoned in to the agency and said that she would only sign with them if her little sister was brought on as well.  And in an anxious move to secure Dorian, they agreed to include Suzy in the deal without even seeing her.  To their pleasant surprise Suzy was not only a bombshell, but her good looks and hard work made her more famous than her beautiful older sister.

At the age of 15 Suzy appeared in Life magazine and would go on to be in a campaign for DeRosa Jewelry, she would become the face of Coco Chanel, as well as be featured in the pages of Vogue, Elle, and advertisements for Max Factor, and Revlon.  She was the first model to earn $200 per hour and $100,000 per year — a true achievement of the time.  Parker would also be in such films as Kiss Them For me, opposite Cary Grant, and Funny Faces with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire.  Suzy also did not hesitate to venture into the silver screen acting in The Twilight Zone, and Tarzan amongst others.  

With a career that spanned nearly two decades, Suzy Parker not only made a name for herself but ensured that her legacy would live on.  Her achievements combined pushed her into the fine pages of the fashion history books and today we regard her as a true symbol and icon.

Fashion Icon Friday: Christy Turlington

Not many models can say they were a designer’s muse for almost two decades but Christy Turlington sure can.  Representing Calvin Klein for about 20 years (1987-2007), Turlington is one of the most renowned models to have ever graced the industry. Period.  Appearing in not 100, not 200, not even 300, but over 500 magazine covers and a number of professional photobooks, Christy is the ultimate businesswoman and icon.  In 2008, known model casting agent James Scully had this to say about her: “The greatest model of all time!  You could combine every model to this day into one person, and they wouldn’t come close… [working with her is] about as likely as winning the lottery.”  

With an insanely successful career, a graciousness and a timeless beauty, one can find Christy working on her premier venture these days, Every Mother Counts (EMC).  It’s an organization dedicated to ending preventable deaths caused by complications during childbirth around the world.  EMC mobilizes and informs many audiences in ways they can take action to improve the health and well-being of women worldwide.  

Attagirl, Christy!

Got a moment? Check out Career Stylist, Kelly Studer’s, interview with Christy Turlington on Building Your Personal Brand!

Fashion Icon Friday: Natalie Wood

Probably best known for her role in West Side Story as Juliet like character, Maria, Natalie Wood got our attention because of her known tirelessness and the innate ability to make audiences fall in love with her characters time and time again.

Wood made her film debut in 1943 at the age of about 7 years old after she was discovered by director, Irving Pichel and immediately garnered the attention of Hollywood and the world.  Little did America know that she would have a career that spanned 40 years catapulting her to the top of the entertainment industry’s food chain. Other titles she’s best known for include Tomorrow is Forever, Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause (where she co-starred alongside another fashion icon in his own right, James Dean), The Searchers, and The Great Gatsby.  Because of her talent, fame, and fortune she was able to surround herself with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Christopher Walken and even the infamous Rock Hudson.

Today, Natalie Wood lives on through her daughter, Courtney Wagner, and the dreams and aspirations of young, rising stars.  Katy Perry, for one, recently told People Style Watch that Natalie Wood is one of her fashion icons because she’s one of the few women in Hollywood that was able to “adapt and evolve and change.”

Fashion Icon Friday: Kenza Fourati

We love it when companies are disruptive but we love it even more when people do the same.  Kenza Fourati, the first female arab model to pose for a magazine, is doing just that.  With deep roots in her Muslim heritage, this beauty has grabbed her modeling career by the horns and asserts that being a swimsuit model and respecting her religious beliefs can in fact co-exist.  

When the dust settled after the Tunisia revolution, Fourati sat down with Global Grind to remind the world that times are changing; she avowed that she and her people were free to conduct themselves as they please.  She said, “We should be able to portray art like this if we want to… That is a debate we want to create, but it must be a peaceful one.”

Currently, Fourati is with Elite Model Management and has outspokenly graced the covers of such magazines as Marie Claire and Vogue as well as walked in Valentino, Celine, and Westwood amongst others.  We know that her revolutionary attitude, her well-roundedness, her confidence and her timeless beauty will catapult her to the very top of the fashion industry. She has already proven that she’s worthy.