Linda Evangelista (; born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian fashion model. She is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time,
and has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. Evangelista is primarily known for being the longtime "
muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
" of photographer
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in ''Vogue'' and ''Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, ''Sex''. He is n ...
,
as well as for the phrase: "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day."
Evangelista's modelling career began in 1984 when she signed with
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management (MM) refers to two independent chain modeling agencies that originated as one in Paris, France in 1972 with subsequent locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London and Toronto. In 2004, the agencies in New York, Miami, ...
after having moved from her native Canada to New York City. Upon the suggestion of photographer
Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh (born Peter Brodbeck; 23 November 1944 – 3 September 2019) was a German fashion photographer and film director.
He had studied arts in Berlin and Krefeld, and exhibited his works before graduation. In 1971, he turned to photo ...
, Evangelista had her hair cut short in 1988. The haircut, nicknamed "The Linda", not only sparked many copies worldwide, but it also benefited Evangelista's career and helped usher in the era of the supermodel.
Described as the "
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
" of the fashion industry,
and as a key figure among the five supermodels, Evangelista was one of the most famous women in the world during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
Unlike her colleagues, Evangelista chose not to diversify into other ventures outside of modelling. She retired from her career in 1998 and made a comeback three years later, this time working only sporadically. Her achievements as a model led to her being voted as "The Greatest Supermodel of All Time" by the viewers of the television show ''
Fashion File ''Fashion File'' was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television and CBC Newsworld, as well as internationally in syndication, from 1989 to 2009. The series covered fashion industry news. Fashion File was created and developed bKaren ...
'' in 2008.
Early life
Evangelista was born on May 10, 1965,
in
St. Catharines,
to a working-class
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
family.
She is the second of three children of Marisa and Tomaso "Tom" Evangelista (1940–2014), who were Italian emigrants
from
Pignataro Interamna Pignataro Interamna is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. It takes its name from the ancient Latin colony of Interamna Lirenas, founded by the Romans after the conquest of Casinum, an ancient Oscan city.
The town is ...
.
Her father, who immigrated to Canada in 1957, worked for
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
,
and her mother was a
bookkeeper.
Evangelista has an older brother, Jim, and a younger brother,
Danny.
She attended a self-improvement course in a modelling school at the age of 12,
where she was taught things such as poise and etiquette,
and she was advised to attend a modelling course.
She attended
Denis Morris Catholic High School
Denis Morris Catholic High School is a Catholic high school located in St. Catharines, Ontario. The school is administered by the Niagara Catholic District School Board.
Denis Morris provides educational programs and services for students with ...
.
As a teenager, Evangelista started modelling locally in her hometown.
In 1981, she took part in the Miss Teen Niagara beauty pageant.
While she did not win the pageant, she caught the eye of a representative from
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management (MM) refers to two independent chain modeling agencies that originated as one in Paris, France in 1972 with subsequent locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London and Toronto. In 2004, the agencies in New York, Miami, ...
.
At the age of 16, she flew to Japan to model there, but an unpleasant experience involving nudity during an assignment made her want to stop modelling altogether.
She returned to Canada, and two years went by before she decided to try her hand at modelling again.
Career
1984–1987: Early career
Evangelista moved to New York City in 1984 upon signing with Elite,
where she met the prominent modelling agent
John Casablancas
John Casablancas (December 12, 1942 – July 20, 2013) was an American modeling agent and scout who founded Elite Model Management. Casablancas is remembered for his development of the supermodel concept. He is the father of The Strokes front ...
, who compared her likeness to the model
Joan Severance
Joan Marie Severance (December 23, 1958) is an American actress and former fashion model.
Early life
Severance was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Martha and John C. Severance. Her father was an IBM systems manager who had to move freq ...
.
Elite then moved Evangelista to Paris,
where she launched her international high-fashion career at the age of 19. Her first major fashion magazine cover was for the November 1984 issue of ''
L'Officiel
''L'Officiel'' () is a French fashion magazine with a USA edition. It has been published in Paris since 1921 and targets upper-income, educated women aged from 25 to 49. In 2006, it had a circulation of 101,719. A men's edition of ''L'Officiel'', ' ...
''. Subsequently she appeared on the covers and in the pages of a variety of international publications, including ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', ''
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
'', ''
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
'', ''
Glamour'', ''
Mademoiselle'', ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', ''
W'', ''
Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...
'', ''
Allure'', ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', ''
Interview
An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
'', ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'', ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', ''
Cigar Aficionado
''Cigar Aficionado'' is an American magazine that is dedicated to enjoying the good life and the world of cigars. Published since September 1992, the magazine is known for its profiles on celebrities including Michael Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Th ...
'', and ''
i-D''.
She appeared on a total of more than 700 covers worldwide.
In 1985, she began working with
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer.
He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 ...
,
the head designer of the fashion house
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
, to whom she would become a muse. On the subject of Evangelista, Lagerfeld once uttered, "There is not another model in the world as professional as she is."
Evangelista became one of the first editorial models to successfully cross over into the realm of runway modelling, with her agent
Piero Piazzi successfully booking her to walk for fashion designer
Gianni Versace
Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-u ...
, for whom she became a muse.
She first appeared in a
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...
ad campaign in 1987. In addition to her work for Versace and Lagerfeld, Evangelista also modeled for various other fashion brands such as
Valentino,
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetic ...
,
Gianfranco Ferré
Gianfranco Ferré (; 15 August 1944 – 17 June 2007) was an Italian fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design.
Early life and education
Ferré was born ...
,
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
,
Yves Saint Laurent,
Azzedine Alaïa,
Oscar de la Renta
Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo (22 July 1932 – 20 October 2014), known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta ...
,
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...
,
Thierry Mugler
Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the fo ...
,
Claude Montana
Claude Montana (29 June 1947 in Paris) is a French fashion designer. His company, The House of Montana, founded in 1979, went bankrupt in 1997.
Early life and Design career
Born in Paris in 1947 to a Catalan father and a German mother, Montana be ...
,
Donna Karan
Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.
Early life
Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...
,
Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander (; b. 27 November 1943) is a German minimalist fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander fashion house.
Early life and education
Heidemarie Jiline Sander was born in Wesselburen, Nazi Germany on 27 Nov ...
,
Jean Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 April 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corsets, ...
,
Alberta Ferretti
Alberta Ferretti (; ) is an Italian fashion designer and dressmaker. She designs for her namesake brand Alberta Ferretti, and designed for Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti until 2014. Her showroom is in Milan, Italy but her studio is in her nati ...
,
Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) is an American fashion designer, television presenter and chief designer of the Isaac Mizrahi brand for Xcel Brands. Based in New York City, he is best known for his eponymous fashion lines. Mizrahi was prev ...
,
Escada
Escada SE is a luxury women's designer clothing company headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company is owned by Regent, L.P., an international private equity firm led by investor Michael Reinstein.
The company was founded in 1978 by design ...
,
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
,
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. An innovative shoe designer, Salvatore Ferragamo established a reputation in the 1930s. ...
,
Max Mara
Max Mara (Italian aks 'ma:ra is an Italian fashion business. It markets up-market ready-to-wear clothing. It was established in 1951 in Reggio Emilia by Achille Maramotti (7 January 1927 – 12 January 2005). In March 2008, the company had 2,2 ...
,
Perry Ellis
Perry Edwin Ellis (March 3, 1940 – May 30, 1986) was an American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s. Ellis' influence on the fashion industry has been called "a huge turning point" because he int ...
,
Chloé
Chloé () is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion. During the next year of 1953 Aghion joined forces with Jacques Lenoir, formally managing the business side of the brand, allowing Aghion to purely pursue the creativ ...
,
Comme des Garçons
Comme des Garçons (also known as CDG) is a Japanese fashion label based in Paris that was created and led by Rei Kawakubo. Its French flagship store is located in Paris. This label owns a world-wide store chain featuring various lines of prod ...
,
Bill Blass
William Ralph Blass (June 22, 1922 – June 12, 2002) was an American fashion designer. He was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999).
Early ...
, and
Herve Leger
Herve (; li, Herf; wa, Heve) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2018 Herve had a total population of 17,598. The total area is which gives a population density of .
It is famed for ...
.
She has represented a diverse array of other companies and non-fashion brands like
Visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
,
American Express
American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...
,
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...
,
De Beers
De Beers Group is an international corporation that specializes in diamond mining, diamond exploitation, diamond retail, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. The company is active in open-pit, large-scale alluvial and c ...
, and
Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden (born Florence Nightingale Graham; December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966) was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States. By 1929, s ...
.
In 1986, Evangelista met the photographer
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in ''Vogue'' and ''Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, ''Sex''. He is n ...
,
with whom she forged a friendship.
From that point on, they began working together on many professional collaborations, and Evangelista became Meisel's muse in the process.
Starting in 1987, Evangelista began to appear in advertisements and commercials for
Revlon
Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brothe ...
's "The Most Unforgettable Women in the World" campaign, which was photographed by
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and danc ...
. She has also been photographed by
Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh (born Peter Brodbeck; 23 November 1944 – 3 September 2019) was a German fashion photographer and film director.
He had studied arts in Berlin and Krefeld, and exhibited his works before graduation. In 1971, he turned to photo ...
,
Irving Penn
Irving Penn (June 16, 1917October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn's career included work at ''Vogue'' magazine, and independent advertising work for clients including Is ...
,
Francesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo (January 16, 1921 – January 6, 2004) was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of ''Cosmopolitan'' and his celebrity portraits.
Biography
Scavullo was born January 16, 1921, on Staten Island, ...
,
Herb Ritts
Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black a ...
,
Bruce Weber,
Gian Paolo Barbieri
Gian Paolo Barbieri (or Giampaolo Barbieri) (born 1938) is an Italian fashion photographer. Biography
Born on the Via Mazzini in Milan, Barbieri's family were fabric wholesalers, and his father owned a department store. He performed in amateur dr ...
,
Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier (; 21 August 1943 – 31 March 2022) was a French fashion photographer.
Early life and education
Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, Demarchelier spent his childhood in Le Havre, Normandy, with his mother and four ...
,
Paolo Roversi
Paolo Roversi (born 1947) is an Italian-born fashion photographer who lives and works in Paris.
Early life
Born in Ravenna in 1947, Paolo Roversi's interest in photography was kindled as a teenager during a family vacation in Spain in 1964. Ba ...
,
Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson (21 April 1913 – 15 February 1990) was an English portrait and fashion photographer. His work revolutionised British fashion photography, as he moved his subjects out of the studio and used outdoor settings. While servin ...
,
Arthur Elgort,
Gilles Bensimon
Gilles Francis Charles Bensimon (; born 29 February 1944) is a French fashion photographer and the former International Creative Director of ''Elle'' magazine. He has also been the photographer on the reality television series ''America's Next To ...
,
Ellen von Unwerth,
Sante D'Orazio
Sante D'Orazio is an American photographer.
D'Orazio exhibited in the Kunsthaus Munich, Kunsthauswien Vienna, the L.A. County Museum, Kahmann Gallery (Amsterdam), Stellan Holm Gallery (New York), Cameraworks Gallery (Berlin) Hilario Galguera ...
, and
Nick Knight among others.
1988–1992: Supermodel career
It was Lindbergh who, in the fall of 1988, suggested to Evangelista that she cut her hair short
after seeing her try on a short wig for a photoshoot. Consequently, she got a short
gamine
A gamine is a slim, often boyish, elegant young woman who is, or is perceived to be, mischievous, teasing or sexually appealing.
The word ''gamine'' is a French word, the feminine form of ''gamin'', originally meaning urchin, waif or playful, ...
haircut from the French hairstylist Julien d'Ys.
The following day, she was photographed by Lindbergh, which resulted in a now-famous photograph known as "the white shirt picture".
Initially, the haircut was not well received by the fashion industry, and Evangelista was cancelled from 16 fashion shows.
However, by the spring of 1989, Evangelista's haircut was the look of the season.
The haircut was referred to as "The Linda", and it inspired the creation of a wig called "The Evangelista".
Evangelista became known as one of the five supermodels,
a group of star models who reached the pinnacle of success during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The supermodels were considered more famous than most actresses and singers of that time.
In addition, Evangelista, along with
Christy Turlington
Christy Nicole Turlington Burns (born January 2, 1969) is an American model and humanitarian. She represented Calvin Klein (fashion house), Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014, and also represents Maybelline. Turlington w ...
and
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
comprised a triumvirate that was dubbed "The Trinity".
They were joined by
Cindy Crawford
Cynthia Ann Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is an American model, actress and television personality. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers, runways, as well as fash ...
and
Tatjana Patitz
Tatjana Patitz (born 25 March 1966) is a German model and actress who achieved international prominence in the 1980s and 1990s representing fashion designers on runways and in magazines such as ''Elle'', ''Harper's Bazaar'', and ''Vogue''. Patitz ...
for the cover of the January 1990 issue of ''
British Vogue
British ''Vogue'' is a British fashion magazine published based in London since autumn 1916. It is the British edition of the American magazine ''Vogue'' and is owned and distributed by Condé Montrose Nast. British ''Vogue'' editor in 2012 c ...
'',
which was photographed by Lindbergh.
The cover itself was said to have "defined the supermodel era". Upon seeing the cover, singer
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...
chose to cast them
in the music video for his song "
Freedom! '90
"Freedom! '90" (also known simply as "Freedom!") is a song written, produced, and performed by George Michael, and released on Columbia Records in 1990. The "'90" added to the end of the title is to prevent confusion with a hit by Michael's for ...
". In May of that year, Evangelista was chosen as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by ''
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
''.
She also appeared on the ''
Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' where she served as a judge for an Elite model search competition, and chose
Leslie Bibb
Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in '' Private Parts''. Her first recurring TV role wa ...
as the winner, who later became an actress.
In an interview printed in the October 1990 issue of ''Vogue'', Evangelista said, "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day."
That statement is now thought of as the most famous quote in modelling history, and it has been described as "the '
Let them eat cake
"Let them eat cake" is the traditional translation of the French phrase "'", said to have been spoken in the 17th or 18th century by "a great princess" upon being told that the peasants had no bread. The French phrase mentions brioche, a bread e ...
' of the 20th century". Also in October 1990, Evangelista stunned the fashion world by having the hairstylist
Oribe dye her naturally-brown hair platinum blonde. Months later, she had her hair dyed a shocking shade of red known as "
technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
red".
Throughout most of her modelling career, Evangelista was referred to as the fashion industry's "chameleon" for the way that she constantly reinvented herself with various hairstyles and ever-changing hair colours that inspired hair trends.
In terms of her looks, she was likened to
Sophia Loren
Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...
,
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
,
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...
, and
Gina Lollobrigida
Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...
.
In 1991, it was rumored that the fashion house
Lanvin
Lanvin () is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Paris. Founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, it is the oldest French fashion house still in operation. Since 2018, it has been a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Lanvin Group. Bruno Sialel ...
paid Evangelista $20,000 to walk in their
haute couture
''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...
show for the spring/summer season, an amount that was considered excessive.
Model
Tyson Beckford
Tyson Beckford (born December 19, 1970) is an American model and actor best known as a Ralph Lauren Polo model. He was also the host of both seasons of the Bravo program '' Make Me a Supermodel''. Beckford has been described as one of the most ...
recounted in an interview that Evangelista was instrumental in getting higher rates for models. That April, Evangelista waived her runway fee as an act of support for fashion designer
Anna Sui
Anna Sui (; born August 4, 1964) is an American fashion designer. She was named one of the "Top 5 Fashion Icons of the Decade", and in 2009 earned the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (C ...
's debut collection, and instead accepted clothing as payment. Two months later, she attended Valentino's 30th Anniversary Gala in Rome, Italy with Meisel. In September 1991, ''Time'' featured a cover story on the supermodels. The following month, in an article for ''Vogue'', fashion journalist
Suzy Menkes
Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...
described Evangelista as "the world's star model". Evangelista then starred in the 1991 documentary ''Models: The Film'', directed by Lindbergh. And, an episode of the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
show ''
House of Style
''House of Style'' is an MTV show that premiered in May 1989, focusing on America's growing fascination with the "supermodel" craze. The show focused on fashion, lives of models, the modeling industry, and topics such as eating disorders.
Ove ...
'' devoted a segment to Evangelista, which was filmed in Paris.
During the latter part of 1991 and throughout 1992, Evangelista was seen on several different billboards for the fashion brand Kenar, in the center of
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
.
The billboards were done in conjunction with Ads Against AIDS, which was a campaign created by the advertising industry to raise awareness about tackling the disease.
The most talked about and most controversial of those billboards was one that showed Evangelista seated among seven older
Sicilian women.
It was said that the image, which got dubbed "Beauty and the Seven Beasts" by
Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to:
Academics
* Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic
* Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering
* Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...
in the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'',
promoted a negative depiction of Italian women.
Nonetheless, limited edition prints of the image were sold for $1,000 a piece, to benefit Ads Against AIDS.
Also, the image was chosen as one of the "20 most important fashion photographs ever" by the
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography (ICP), at 79 Essex Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, consists of a museum for photography and visual culture and a school offering an array of educational courses and programming. ...
. Kenneth Zimmerman, president of Kenar, said of Evangelista, "She has increased our sales dramatically."
He further added, "Linda was our
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
. We chose her because we wanted a star, and of the four or five star models, she is number one."
In April 1992, Evangelista and several other supermodels appeared on the cover of the 100th anniversary issue of ''Vogue'',
which remains to this day as the magazine's highest-selling issue. She then appeared in the music video for George Michael's "
Too Funky
"Too Funky" is a song written and performed by English singer and songwriter George Michael and released by Columbia Records in the United States and Epic Records elsewhere in 1992. The song was Michael's final single for his recording contr ...
" song, in which she parodied her modelling persona. In July 1992, she was on the cover of Canadian fashion magazine ''
Flare
A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...
'', which was an issue honouring Canada's 125 years as a nation. She was also said to have started the trend for thin eyebrows, which later coincided with the arrival of the Neo-
Hippie
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
fashion trend in the fall of 1992. Her cover for the September 1992 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'' is now seen as "iconic",
and it was ranked #9 on the
American Society of Magazine Editors
The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is an industry trade group for magazine journalists and editors of magazines published in the United States. ASME includes the editorial leaders of most major consumer magazine in print and digital ex ...
' list of the "Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years" in 2005. Toward the end of 1992, her name was immortalized in
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960; stylized as RuPaul) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' ...
's song, "
Supermodel (You Better Work)
"Supermodel (You Better Work)" is a song by American dance music singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released in November 1993 as the third single (but first major label single) from his debut album, '' Supermodel of the World'' (1993). The song ...
".
1993–1998: Later career and retirement
Evangelista made headlines in 1993 when she traveled to Australia with
Claudia Schiffer
Claudia Maria Schiffer (; born 25 August 1970) is a German model and actress based in the United Kingdom. She rose to fame in the 1990s as one of the world's most successful models, attaining supermodel status. In her early career, she was compa ...
for a 5-day tour, which included a news conference and a televised fashion show, as part of the grand opening of a department store.
In October 1994, Evangelista was one of several models on the cover of ''
Vogue Italia
''Vogue Italia'' is the Italian edition of ''Vogue'' magazine. Owned by Condé Nast International, it has been called the top fashion magazine in the world. It's been in publication since 1964.
Name
''Vogue Italia'' was first published as ''N ...
''′s 30th anniversary issue. She then appeared in the feature film ''
Prêt-à-Porter
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothin ...
''. In 1995, the hairstylist Garren of New York changed Evangelista's look by giving her an asymmetrical bob similar to
mod
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
hairstyles of the 1960s. That same year, she took part in Thierry Mugler's 20th anniversary fashion show. Evangelista later landed an endorsement deal with
Clairol
Clairol is the American personal care-product division of company Wella, specializing in hair coloring and hair care. Clairol was founded in 1931 by Americans Joan Gelb and her husband Lawrence M. Gelb, with business partner and lifelong friend ...
worth over $5 million.
She also starred in the fashion documentary ''
Unzipped''.
Additionally, she was a presenter at the
Miss World 1995 competition.
In 1996, Evangelista was one of the ten subjects of Lindbergh's book ''10 Women'', on whose cover she appeared. She was also seen in the fashion documentary ''
Catwalk
A fashion show ( French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fa ...
''. She was also the cover model for the inaugural issues of ''Vogue Taiwan'' and ''Vogue Korea''. And, she landed a $7.75 million contract with
Yardley of London
Yardley of London (usually referred to simply as Yardley or Yardleys) is a British personal care brand and one of the oldest firms in the world to specialise in cosmetics, fragrances and related toiletry products. Established in 1770, .
Eventually, she made the choice to retire from modelling in 1998,
and settled on the
French Riviera
The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...
, where she spent the next two years.
2001–2016: Return to modelling
In 2001, Evangelista made a noteworthy return to the modelling world, and appeared on the cover of the September issue of ''Vogue''.
Also in 2001, she helped to revive the "What Becomes a Legend Most?" ad campaign for
Blackglama furs, which hadn't been seen in six years.
Rocco Laspata, the photographer of the campaign, described Evangelista as "the
Maria Callas
Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...
of modeling".
Then, in 2002, she was in the ad campaign for Versace's fall/winter collection. The next year, she was back on the high-fashion runways, walking for Versace and Dolce & Gabbana.
Furthermore, she closed Chanel's fall/winter 2003 haute couture show wearing a white wedding gown.
In 2004, she appeared in the spring/summer ad campaigns for both
NARS Cosmetics
NARS Cosmetics is a French cosmetics and skin care company founded by make-up artist and photographer François Nars in 1994. The cosmetics line began with twelve lipsticks sold at Barneys New York. Since then, NARS has created various multi-us ...
and
Fendi
Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods.
...
.
She also walked the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier's debut collection at
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, since ...
.
That summer, she was featured in
Ann Taylor Ann or Anne Taylor may refer to:
*Ann Taylor (writer, born 1757) (1757–1830), English writer
*Ann Taylor (poet) (1782–1866), English poet and children's writer, daughter of the above
*Ann Taylor (actress) (born 1936), British actress, hostess a ...
's 50th anniversary ad campaign, photographed by
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...
.
In 2006, Evangelista appeared on the cover of the book ''In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine'' along with model
Kristen McMenamy
Kristen McMenamy (born December 13, 1964) is an American supermodel known for her unconventional, androgynous appearance. Originally a long-haired redhead, she reinvented her look in the early 1990s by having her hair cut short and dyed black, an ...
, photographed by Meisel. In August of that year, Evangelista made the cover of ''Vogue'', becoming the first model to appear on that magazine's cover in more than a year. Her final runway appearance was in 2007, when she participated in the 60th anniversary fashion show for the
Christian Dior
Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses a ...
brand.
That year, she signed a multiple-year exclusive contract as the brand ambassador for the cosmetics giant
L'Oreal Paris.
In May 2008, she made an appearance at the
Cannes film festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
where she posed for photographers on the red carpet along with fellow beauty
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebritie ...
. Evangelista was then photographed by Meisel for the
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
fall/winter 2008 campaign.
She also appeared in the September 2008 issue of ''
Vanity Fair'' for a feature story on the supermodels titled "A League of Their Own". In 2009, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
held an exhibition called ''
The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion'' which paid tribute to several fashion models including Evangelista, and she was on the cover of the exhibition's accompanying book.
In 2010, she was chosen to star in the ad campaign for the revamped
Talbots
The Talbots, Inc. (doing business as Talbots and stylized as TALBOTS) is an American specialty retailer and direct marketer of women's clothing, shoes and fashion accessories.
As of 2018, the company operated 495 Talbots stores in the United S ...
brand.
Evangelista was photographed by Lagerfeld for Chanel's spring 2012 eyewear ad campaign.
In May 2012, Evangelista was on the cover of ''Vogue Italia'' after a three-year hiatus from the magazine. She was then featured in the book ''Vogue: The Editor's Eye'' as one fashion's model-muses.
That November, she was on the cover of the 35th anniversary issue of ''
Fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
'' magazine. A few months later, the Spanish fashion brand
Loewe chose her to represent its newest fragrance Aura.
In June 2013, she attended the
Council of Fashion Designers of America
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory des ...
awards show, where she presented fashion journalist
Tim Blanks
Tim Blanks (born ) is a Canadian-New Zealander fashion journalist, broadcaster and writer.
Career
Blanks is the former host of the television show ''Fashion File'', which he hosted from 1989 until 2006. He worked as editor-at-large for Style.c ...
with the Media Award. She was photographed by Lagerfeld for the July 2013 cover of ''Vogue Germany'', where she was styled to look like vintage actress
Anna Magnani
Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of characters.
Born in Rome, she worked her ...
, and posed with Lagerfeld's pet cat
Choupette
Choupette (born 15 August 2011) is a blue-cream tortie Birman
cat which was the pet of German fashion designer
Karl Lagerfeld from around Christmas 2011 until Lagerfeld's death on 19 February 2019 at the age of 85.
Originally belonging to the F ...
. Also that month, she was on the cover of ''Vogue Italia'' for an issue that celebrated the 25th anniversary of
Franca Sozzani's tenure as the magazine's editor-in-chief.
In 2014, Evangelista was present at the
White House Correspondents' Dinner
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
.
She appeared in the fall/winter 2014 ad campaign for the fashion brand
Moschino
Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories.
History Founding and 1990s
Franco Mosc ...
, photographed by Meisel. She was also one of several models on the cover of ''Vogue Japans September 2014 issue, which marked the magazine's 15th anniversary. And, she was on the cover of the September 2014 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'', which has been described as "Harper's biggest ever". Moreover, she was one of 50 models on the September 2014 cover of ''Vogue Italia'', the magazine's 50th anniversary issue. Evangelista has remained the recordholder for the most ''Vogue Italia'' covers. She was also chosen to represent Dolce & Gabbana's new line of makeup. In October 2014, it was announced that Evangelista had signed on to be a guest judge on the ninth season of the reality television series ''
Australia's Next Top Model
''Australia's Next Top Model'' is an Australian reality television series which premiered on 11 January 2005 and concluded on 22 November 2016, and was based on Tyra Banks' ''America's Next Top Model''. It was broadcast on the Australian subscr ...
''.
Evangelista was chosen by Canadian department store
Hudson's Bay as the face of the spring 2015 campaign for its luxury clothing section called The Room. The campaign was photographed by
Pamela Hanson
Pamela Hanson (born 1954) is an American photographer and filmmaker based in New York.
Early life
Hanson was born in London and was raised in Geneva. She attended the American School in Lugano, Switzerland and later moved to the United States ...
. In June 2015, Evangelista was a chairwoman for the
FiFi Awards
The FiFi Awards are an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry's creative achievements. Known as the "Oscars of the fragrance industry", the awards ceremony was conceived by the former president of ...
, where she presented the awards for both men's and women's prestige fragrance of the year. In October 2015, Evangelista appeared on the cover of a book showcasing the work of hat designer
Philip Treacy
Philip Anthony Treacy (born 26 May 1967) is an Irish haute couture milliner, or hat designer, who has been mostly based in London for his career, and who was described by ''Vogue'' magazine as "perhaps the greatest living milliner". In 2000, T ...
titled ''Philip Treacy: Hat Designer''. The cover photograph of Evangelista was mentioned by Treacy as being "the most precious thing I own". Also in October, Evangelista starred in the campaign for Moschino's newest fragrance Fresh, photographed by Meisel.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of ''British Vogue'', a photograph of Evangelista originally taken in 1991 was chosen as the cover image for the book ''Vogue 100: A Century of Style'', released in February 2016. In April 2016, Evangelista appeared on the cover of ''
Zoo Magazine
''Zoo Magazine'' is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and was created on 25 September 2003. It focuses on fashion, art, literature and architecture and is published four times a year. The predominantly German based subject matter has recently expan ...
s 50th issue, photographed by singer and friend
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
. Also that month, Evangelista appeared on the cover of the book ''Age of the Supermodel'', which features photographs taken by photographer Donna DeMari during the haute couture collections in Paris in 1991. Evangelista worked as fashion stylist for a photo spread titled "A Model Journey" in the September 2016 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'', which was based on her early years as a model. In September 2016, Evangelista reunited with Turlington and Campbell to appear in a campaign for the Elephant Crisis Fund. In November 2016, Evangelista was named Creative Director and Vice President of the Erasa Skin Care brand.
Cultural impact
Decades after uttering the comment about working for no less than $10,000 a day, the quote continued to be referenced in the media, being mentioned as late as July 2017. Evangelista herself has said, "I saw a movie, ''
Mr. & Mrs. Smith'', and there's a line in it where
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
says he won't get out of bed for less than half a million dollars. That's my line! Only now it's a half million and it's a man saying it."
Over the years, various different T-shirts emblazoned with the $10,000 a day quote have been sold, and there is even an embroidered pillow containing the quote. The
G Hotel in Galway, Ireland, includes a presidential suite that was named in honour of Evangelista, with its interiors designed by Treacy. The September 1991 issue of ''Vogue'' had a photo spread titled "Wild At Heart" that featured Evangelista, photographed by Lindbergh. One of the images from that spread is known as "The Wild Ones", and a platinum-palladium print of the image was sold at a
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
auction for over $30,000. In October 2012, a picture of Evangelista and McMenamy that was photographed by Meisel for ''Vogues October 1992 issue was sold at a
Phillips auction for $86,500. In May 2016, a 1988 picture of Evangelista and five other models that was photographed by Lindbergh sold at a Sotheby's auction for $118,462. A 1996 photograph of Evangelista, titled "Linda Kissing Linda", which was originally featured in a Kenar advertisement, was selected by the
Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
Museums in this group include:
Locations
Americas
* The Solomon R. Guggenhei ...
as "an example of the epitome of
androgyny
Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression.
When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in ...
".
Evangelista influenced a number of female celebrities as either an inspiration or as a beauty icon. Among them are
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...
,
Martha Stewart
Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pub ...
, models
Candice Swanepoel
Candice Susan Swanepoel (; ; born 20 October 1988) is a South African model and philanthropist. She is known for her work with Victoria's Secret. She became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010. In 2016, she was listed 8th on the ''Forbes'' top-ea ...
,
Kylie Bax
Kylie Bax (born 5 January 1975) is a New Zealandbased model and actress. She has appeared on international magazine covers, including ''Vogue'' and '' Marie Claire''. During her twenties, Bax had supporting roles in action and comedy films.
Per ...
,
Kendall Jenner and
Elsa Benítez, model-turned-actress
Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle Harmon (born August 10, 1972) is an American actress and model. She won ''Seventeens modeling contest in 1987 at age 15, signed with IMG Models, and appeared on covers for magazines such as ''Cosmopolitan'' and ''Esquire''. ...
, and singer
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
.
Evangelista has drawn praise and accolades from many of the fashion industry's elite. Philip Treacy said, "Linda is the ultimate model of the past 50 years". Karl Lagerfeld once described Evangelista as "the most famous of all", and "the best model in the world", explaining, "Because she's a true model, pure and simple. She doesn't pretend or aspire to do anything else. She's just brilliant at what she does." Designer
Stefano Gabbana
Stefano Gabbana (; born 14 November 1962) is a fashion designer and, along with Domenico Dolce, the co-founder of the Dolce & Gabbana luxury fashion house.
Early life
Gabbana was born in Milan to a father who worked in a printing factory and a ...
said of Evangelista, "Linda is ''the'' model. If you talk about models of the sixties and seventies, the first name is
Veruschka
Vera Lehndorff (German: Vera Anna Gottliebe Gräfin von Lehndorff; born 14 May 1939), known professionally as Veruschka, is a German aristocrat, model, actress and artist. She is considered the "first German supermodel.“
Early life
von Lehn ...
. In the eighties and nineties, it's Linda."
David Bonnouvrier, one of the founders of DNA Model Management said, "Linda is the model of all time, to its strictest definition. She could be out of a
Cecil Beaton
Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...
picture, she could be out of a
Guy Bourdin
Guy Bourdin (2 December 1928 – 29 March 1991), was a French artist and fashion photographer known for his provocative images. From 1955, Bourdin worked mostly with ''Vogue'' as well as other publications including '' Harper's Bazaar''. He shot ...
picture." Sozzani, the editor-in-chief of ''Vogue Italia'', recounted that she would receive letters from readers concerned about "what would happen to the magazine if Linda got sick. Because it was all about Linda Evangelista. Her face had the most possibilities."
Sozzani additionally stated, "For me, she is the model, not only for her beauty, but her attitude, her intelligence."
Meisel, to whom Evangelista is his "muse", considers her "extraordinarily photogenic".
Fashion designer
John Galliano
John Charles Galliano (born 28 November 1960) is a British fashion designer from Gibraltar. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creat ...
has said that "inspiration hasn't been the same without her. She is an enormous influence on all the photographers and stylists."
In his book ''
Face Forward
''Face Forward'' is a cosmetics book written by Kevyn Aucoin. It was a New York Times bestseller. The book was widely noted for introducing makeup sculpting and contouring to the general public for the first time.
Aucoin's portrait subjects incl ...
'', the late makeup artist
Kevyn Aucoin
Kevyn James Aucoin (; February 14, 1962 – May 7, 2002) was an American make-up artist, photographer and author. In the 1990s, Aucoin was wholly responsible for the "sculpted" look of many celebrities and top models, including Whitney Houston, ...
said of Evangelista, "I first worked with Linda in the early eighties and have yet to meet another model who was more involved in every aspect of her work. Her specialties were knowing what was best for her hair, makeup, styling, and lighting -- and Linda was always right. It was mind-boggling. Many of the unforgettable images of this haunting beauty were, in great degree, due to her involvement." This sentiment was echoed by fashion stylist Paul Cavaco, who described Evangelista as "the greatest collaborator of all time."
Evangelista was referred to as "the supermodel’s supermodel" by Marcus Chang of ''
T: The New York Times Style Magazine''. According to Shane Watson of ''
The Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'', "Of all the supermodels, Linda was most responsible for elevating the job into an art form, pushing up the fees, piling on the expectations and generally ensuring that by the end of the Eighties the world of the top model had become as lucrative, glamorous and shrouded in enigma as that of the Hollywood star".
Activism and awards
![Linda Evangelista star on Walk of Fame](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Linda_Evangelista_star_on_Walk_of_Fame.jpg)
Evangelista is an activist for HIV/AIDS research and awareness, as well as for breast cancer research and awareness.
She was one of the icons in the Viva Glam campaign for the
Mac AIDS Fund
M∙A∙C AIDS Fund (M·A·F) is a public charity established in 1994 to support people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. It donates funds to communities and organizations that offer services to people with HIV/AIDS and help to prevent the disease ...
.
In October 2013, she was the host of
amfAR
amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, known until 2005 as the American Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of ...
's Inaugural Inspiration Gala in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Evangelista also supports the
Elton John AIDS Foundation
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by rock musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV prevention, education programs, direct care a ...
and is an advocate for
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
concerns.
In 1996, she was the recipient of
VH1's Fashion Awards Lifetime Achievement Award,
which was presented to her by
Anna Wintour
Dame Anna Wintour (; born 3 November 1949) is a British journalist based in New York City who has served as editor-in-Chief of ''Vogue'' since 1988 and Global Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast since 2020; she is also the artistic directo ...
, editor-in-chief of ''Vogue''. In June 2003, she received a star on
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...
in Toronto.
[ In 2005, she was named as a World Fashion Icon by the ]Women's World Award
Winners of the Women's World Award, sponsored by the World Awards organization headed by former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, intended for women who have influenced the world by their work in areas such as society or politics. The awa ...
s in Leipzig, Germany. In March 2008, she was chosen as "The Greatest Supermodel of All Time" by a viewer poll for the CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
show ''Fashion File ''Fashion File'' was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television and CBC Newsworld, as well as internationally in syndication, from 1989 to 2009. The series covered fashion industry news. Fashion File was created and developed bKaren ...
''.
Personal life
Relationships
In 1987, Evangelista married Gérald Marie, who was the head of Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management (MM) refers to two independent chain modeling agencies that originated as one in Paris, France in 1972 with subsequent locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London and Toronto. In 2004, the agencies in New York, Miami, ...
's Paris office. They were divorced in 1993.[ She also dated actor ]Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), as well as roles ...
,[ whom she first met on a photoshoot for ]Barneys New York
Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market.
Barneys N ...
in 1992. The couple became engaged in 1995 but broke up in 1998. Afterwards, she dated French football player Fabien Barthez
Fabien Alain Barthez (born 28 June 1971) is a French racing driver and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. At club level, he played football in both France and England with Toulouse, Marseille, AS Monaco, Manchester United ...
. She became pregnant but miscarried, six months into the pregnancy. The couple broke up in 2000, reunited in 2001, and then officially ended their relationship in 2002.
Child support case
In October 2006, Evangelista gave birth to a son, Augustin James, refusing to name his father, sparking rumours. While pregnant, she appeared on the August 2006 cover of ''Vogue''. In late June 2011, Evangelista filed court papers that revealed her son was fathered by billionaire Frenchman François-Henri Pinault
François-Henri Pinault (; born ) is a French businessman, the chairman and CEO of Kering since 2005, and president of Groupe Artémis since 2003. Under his leadership, the retail conglomerate PPR was transformed into the luxury fashion group Ker ...
, whom Evangelista had dated for four months in late 2005 and early 2006. Pinault later married actress Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek Pinault ( , ; born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well as the ...
. After several court appearances aimed at establishing a child-support agreement, on August 1, 2011, Evangelista formally filed for a child support order in Manhattan Family Court, seeking $46,000 in monthly child support from Pinault. It was reported that if granted, this amount "would probably be the largest support order in the history of the family court". A heavily publicized child support trial began on May 3, 2012, and included testimony from both Pinault and Evangelista, with Evangelista's attorney claiming that Pinault had never supported the child. Several days into the trial, on May 7, 2012, Evangelista and Pinault reached an out-of-court settlement.
Religion
In a 1997 interview, Evangelista said that she was a practicing Roman Catholic and that her favorite book was the Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
.
Failed cosmetic procedure and lawsuit
In September 2021 Evangelista explained why she had not been working, withdrawing from public life. She stated that five years previously she had had undergone cryolipolysis
Fat removal procedures are used mostly in Plastic surgery#Cosmetic surgery procedures, cosmetic surgery with the intention of removing unwanted adipose tissue. The procedure may be invasive, as with liposuction, or noninvasive using laser therapy, ...
, a cosmetic fat removal procedure, under the brand name CoolSculpting to reduce fat under her skin, but that this had done the opposite, with the complication paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH). Evangelista said that she had initiated legal action against CoolSculpting's owner, Zeltiq Aesthetics, which itself is a subsidiary of Allergan
Allergan plc is an American, Irish-domiciled pharmaceutical company that acquires, develops, manufactures and markets brand name drugs and medical devices in the areas of medical aesthetics, eye care, central nervous system, and gastroenterology. ...
. She sought $50million in damages for emotional distress and lost income.
Filmography
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Evangelista, Linda
1965 births
Living people
Canadian beauty pageant contestants
Canadian expatriates in France
Canadian expatriates in the United States
Canadian people of Italian descent
Canadian women activists
Female models from Ontario
HIV/AIDS activists
LGBT rights activists from Canada
Participants in Australian reality television series
People from St. Catharines
Women civil rights activists