Carmen's parents were Italian and Hungarian. They were constantly breaking up and getting back together. Because of this, Carmen lived in foster homes and sometimes with other relatives.
In 1942, Carmen reunited with her mother and moved to New York City. At the age of 13, while riding a bus to ballet class, she was approached to model by the wife of photographer Herman Landschoff. Her test photos, taken at Jones Beach, were a “flop” according to Carmen.
When she was 15 in 1946 her godfather introduced her to Vogue where Carmen signed a contract for $7.50 per hour. Carmen became a favorite model of photographer Erwin Blumenfeld who took her first Vogue cover in 1947.
Despite modeling, Carmen and her mother were poor. They had no telephone and Vogue sent runners to their apartment to let Carmen know about modeling jobs. She roller-skated to assignments to save bus fares. Carmen was so malnourished that famed fashion photographers had to pin back dresses and stuff her body with tissue. Carmen and her mother were also accomplished seamstresses and made extra money making clothes.
In 1947, Carmen got a raise to $10–$25 per hour. She appeared on the October 1947 and November 1948 covers of Vogue, at age 16 and 17, She also became Salvador Dali's muse.
Despite early successes at a very young age, modeling agent Eileen Ford refused to represent her and Vogue lost interest in her. After doctors prescribed shots to start puberty, she instead started working for catalogs and lingerie, making $300 per hour. It was then that she joined Ford in 1953 and has been working ever since.
I think she is more beautiful today than she was as a young woman...she still looks relevant and stylish...proof that getting older can be done gracefully and beautifully! I love that she is still vibrant enough to walk the catwalk at 81! She is my "sherpa" on how to "work it" well into one's golden years!
Wow! She looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteShe's gorgeous!
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