Valerie Askew (25 January 1939 – 27 August 2020) was a British modelling agent, and the co-founder (with her younger sister, Gloria) of the Askew Team modelling agency in 1966.

Early life

She was born in

Epping Epping may refer to: Places Australia * Epping, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Epping railway station, Sydney * Electoral district of Epping, the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly * Epping Forest, Kearns, a he ...

, London on 25 January 1939, the daughter of William Askew, an opera singer turned music and drama teacher and Irene (née Molyneaux), a poet.

Career

In 1966, together with her younger sister Gloria, she founded the Askew Team modelling agency in 1966, at 22

Bruton Street Bruton Street is a street in London's Mayfair district. It runs from Berkeley Square in the south-west to New Bond Street in the north-east, where it continues as Conduit Street. Notable residents have included Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd ...

, Mayfair, London. In 1973, they were the first London agency to open a branch in Milan. Their models included Sue Nadkarni, Ika Hindley,

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, Michael Edwards,

Sadie Frost Sadie Liza Frost (née Vaughan; born 19 June 1965) is an English actress, producer and fashion designer, who ran fashion label Frost French (until its closure in 2011) and a film production company (Blonde to Black Pictures). Early life Frost ...

, 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 ...

Personal life

In 1960, she married Joe Joseph, an RAF engineer. They had five children. They divorced in 1978. She died of heart failure on 27 August 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Askew, Valerie 1939 births 2020 deaths People from Epping 20th-century British people British models British company founders