The Supermodels of the 1970's

Lauren Hutton was a twelfth-generation Southerner and raised in the Florida Everglades. During her late teens, she had stints at New York's Playboy club and Al Hirt's jazz club in New Orleans. She eventually met and impressed Diana Vreeland, who sent her to Richard Avedon. She would go on to book over 25 covers between 1966 and 1975 and pursued a career as an actress, starring across Richard Gere in American Gigilo.

In the early '70s, Janice Dickinson moved to New York City to pursue modeling after winning "Miss High Fashion Model." After being turned down by Eileen Ford herself, she was discovered by photographer Jacques Silberstein. She went on to cover all of the top fashion magazines, including Marie Claire, and calls herself the "world's first supermodel."

Gia Carangi was always known for her wild ways. Her career began at 17-years-old when she was signed by Wilhelmina agency. By 18, she was making $100,000 a year and starring in many major campaigns. Sadly, while becoming a nightclub regular, she became addicted to drugs, her career declined, and she eventually died of AIDS-related complications. She was portrayed by Angelina Jolie in 1998's Gia.

Iman was discovered in 1975 by Peter Beard who saw her on the street in Nairobi and was taken with her statuesque Somalian beauty. At the time she was at university majoring in political science and fluent in five different languages. She exploded onto the fashion scene, booked many major fashion spreads and covers, and served as a muse to the likes of Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karen. She went on to win the affections of another '70s icon, David Bowie, who she married in 1992.

Yves Saint Laurent dubbed Marisa Berenson "the girl of the Seventies." Considering her grandmother was the legendary couturier Elsa Schiaparelli, fashion was part of her DNA. She began modeling at 16-years-old and Diana Vreeland eventually took the star under her wing. She worked with the most storied '70s designers including YSL, Azzedine Alaïa, and Halston, as well as legendary photographers Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Irving Penn.

Patti Hansen was discovered in 1972 while working at her father's hot-dog stand in Staten Island. During the beginning of her career, Patrick Demarchelier took her on her first trip to Paris. Soon after, she starred in Revlon ads shot by Richard Avedon. She was a fixture on the Studio 54 scene and at 23-years-old, she met her future husband Keith Richards on the dance floor.

Beverly Johnson paved the way for African American models, breaking down many racial barriers in the '70s. When she first pursued a modeling career, she was rejected by every modeling agency she reached out to. However, after things began to shift culturally, her phone began to ring off the hook. She appeared in over 500 magazines and walking the runway for Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and many more.

Cheryl Tiegs embodied the girl-next-store look with her sun-kissed tan, healthy physique, and Cover Girl smile. She began modeling at 16-years-old, working for department stores for $25 a day. Her first major campaign was a swimsuit ad that appeared in Seventeen. She went on to cover many fashion magazines, as well as Sports Illustrated many times over.

After being scouted at a Rolling Stones concert in 1972, Rene Russo was signed to Ford Modeling Agency and her career took off. The fashion industry fell in love with her cutting cheekbones and wide set eyes — Brooke Shields once described her as "the most beautiful thing that ever walked the face of the earth." After a successful decade run, she retired from modeling at 30-years-old and went took up a successful acting career.

Kelly Emberg was in high school, a member of the school's female drill team, when she was discovered by a local photographer in Houston. She eventually landed in New York City where she signed with Elite Model Management and went on to cover major fashion magazines, make multiple appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, as well as book campaigns with Cover Girl and Calvin Klein.