Among the many models, Gia Marie Carangi is considered one of the best. What caused such a huge popularity of a seemingly ordinary girl? Undoubtedly, beauty played a big role in its success. However, fame came to her after she was one of the first to venture off without clothes. Read the details of the history of climbing the Olympus of fashion of an ever young and beautiful model, as well as the unexpected collapse of her career.
Philadelphia childhood
Gia Marie Carangi, whose biography is covered in this article, was born on January 29, 1960. She was the daughter of Italian-American Joe Carangi and Caitlin Carangi, an Irish woman with Welsh roots. The temperament of both parents was fully inherited by the daughter, so the girl from a young age differed from her peers in a naughty explosive character. Spoiled and turned on, Gia Marie Carangi at the age of 11 survived the divorce of her parents. A little later, they again married, but the girl, having tasted life free from parental attention, was seriously carried away by the work of David Bowie and began to follow his worldview.
At the age of 14, the future model Gia Marie Carangi realized that she was not completely close to relations with the opposite sex. She falls in love with girls, sends them bouquets and touching poems, which she composed herself. Karen Karaz's girlfriend was always struck by the openness and directness with which Gia spoke to her about her inclinations. The mother tried to help her daughter and took her to appointments with psychologists and psychotherapists.
The beginning of a long journey
Easily and unexpectedly joined the modeling business of Gia Marie Carangi. Her biography, meanwhile, did not previously contain information about a passion for such activities. At the age of 18, after being fired from the DCA club in California, in which the future model was dancing, she moved to New York, where fate brought her together with model agency Wilhelmina Cooper.
After working for about 3 months on small and modest orders, suddenly Gia Marie Carangi became the world-famous model. The biography of the girl could have been different if she had not met Arthur Elgort, who helped her to establish contacts in the magazines Vogue and Cosmo. Famous photographers were struck by this bright brunette, who in some pictures looked like innocence herself, and in others - like a lady vamp.
Peak of popularity
What was the reason for the great popularity of a girl named Gia Marie Carangi? Her biography as a supermodel began at the end of 1978, when she first agreed to star naked. Scandalous photos at that time excited the minds of the public, but no one was going to condemn the girl, since her body was really beautiful. After only a few months, photo models appeared in almost all fashion magazines. By the way, blondes were especially popular at that time, and Gia, being a bright brunette, favorably differed from them.
The girl first began to receive several thousand dollars per shoot. In 1979, she was recognized as the owner of the most beautiful "model" breast, and her photo on the cover of Cosmopolitan was recognized as the best of her career. The sensuality of the model contrasted pleasantly with the modesty of other girls. It was then that Gia Marie Carangi, whose photos were already well recognizable, ceased to take on all orders. Choosing the most interesting and unusual photographs, the model got used to the image and not only showed a beautiful face and body, but was aimed at exposing the soul. It was this amazing ability that allowed her to act up on the set without fear of scandal or refusal to work with her.
Addiction that broke all hopes
Becoming the most popular and highest paid model, Gia did not find peace of mind, as she constantly felt lonely. More than once she invited her brother to move to her. In early 1980, the model experienced severe stress, burying her friend and mentor. Trying to escape from a keen sense of loneliness, Gia Marie Carangi started taking drugs: first cocaine, and later heroin.
Tantrums and vagaries on the set became more frequent, but at first they forgave her and this, because she was a real star. In November 1980, photographs of the model had to be strongly retouched, as her hands were strewn with traces of injections. At the same time, Gia left the modeling agency, but she did not hold out for a new job for a long time and in February 1981 left the modeling business altogether.
Life after ...
Awkward attempts to quit drugs and undergo rehabilitation, Gia Marie Carangi made until 1983. But the former model had a constant need for the next dose. Gia first sold jeans in a provincial shop, and then, due to lack of funds, went into prostitution. In early 1986, she was admitted to a hospital with severe pneumonia. During the examination, the doctors diagnosed her with AIDS. Gia spent almost a year in a clinic in Philadelphia under the supervision of her mother. Her body was disfigured, she could hardly speak in the last months of her life.
In November 1986, the first supermodel in history was gone. The funeral was quiet and quiet. Many representatives of the fashion world, even several years later, did not know that she was no more.