AND THEN THERE WAS VERUSCHKA

You might not be able to imagine it, but once, very long ago, there wasn't Kate Moss but Veruschka that dictated the covers. Richard Avedon called her ‘the most beautiful woman on earth’ and he might just be right. Talking about a colourful life. Time for a book and a tribute.

Veruschka and me

I mostly know Veruschka from the documentary about Diane Vreeland in which Diane had to have a shoot with the immensely tall Veruschka, who needed to have an affair with a Japanese wrestler. And the Japanese wrestler had to be taller than her. It took the Vogue team about a week or three, but then they finally found him.

homeless Aristocrat

The German Veruschka is incredibly aristocratic from both sides. Her father also turned out to be a hero because he tried to kill Hitler because he'd seen what the German military leaders did to Jewish children. Unfortunately, her father was killed truing. It marked a troubled childhood during which Veruschka and her family became homeless, and during which Veruschka attended over thirteen different schools.

 Turning things around

After her art studies, Veruschka moved to Florence where she got discovered as a model. Her real breakthrough was by saying a line in the film Blow Up. Her perfect figure made such a deep impression that rumours are she created the precedent of size zero models. “Pure coincidence,” Veruschka says. “Right before filming, I was in Mexico and got a bowel infection which made me lose a lot of weight.” Oh Veruschka, why didn't you say that sooner? It would've saved us so many issues...

A Model's Life. From Vera to Veruschka. €58 - Rizzoli