Fashion Reverie looks back at the career of supermodel Veruschka. No other model epitomized the changing tides of fashion and the newly liberated woman of the 1960s than Veruschka. Gone were the days of models that reverently showed off couture collections for wealthy socialites and the ladies-who-lunch set. Veruschka represented the endless possibilities that were opening up for women and helped changed the image of what a fashion model should look like.
Like Donyale Luna, Veruschka, born Vera von Lehndorff, was a towering beauty who not only commanded attention but set the standard for beauty in fashion in the 1960s and 70s. At a statuesque 6`1, this daughter of a Prussian Count, was discovered by photographer Ugo Mulas. While modeling in Paris, Veruschka met Eileen Ford who convinced her to move to New York City. At her peak, Veruschka reportedly earned as much as $10, 000 a day.
Verusckha in the 60s and 70s graced 11 Vogue covers and worked with such famed photographers as Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, and sometimes lover Franco Rubartelli. Richard Avedon proclaimed her “the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Though her career wound down in the late 70s, Veruschka occasionally makes appearances on European runways. Currently, she lives a very quiet artist’s life in Berlin.
—Staff
