One of the world's first supermodels who dominated the late 1970s, Gia Carangi, has now been gone for 40 years.
According to a report by the Daily Mail on the 8th (local time), this year marks the 40th anniversary of Gia Carangi's shocking death at the young age of 26 from complications of AIDS (AIDS). Her tragic life, who dominated the runway with her exotic Italian looks and androgynous charm, is being reexamined.
Gia Carangi, from Philadelphia, entered the New York modeling scene at age 17 and immediately rose to stardom after signing with Wilhelmina Models. She graced the covers of famous magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan and served as a muse for luxury brands including Versace, Christian Dior and Armani.
At the time Gia even said, "I didn't grow into being a model; I just became the model," showing her relentless stride. But behind the glamorous lights lay deep wounds from parental discord and childhood trauma.
Her time at the top was short. Gia began partying at then-hot spots like "Studio 54" and turned to cocaine and heroin. In particular, her breakup with makeup artist Sandy Linter, who was her lover, and the death of Wilhelmina Cooper, the mentor who discovered her, pushed her further into the mire of drug addiction.
On set she often nodded off during shoots, and retouching to hide needle marks became essential for photo spreads. Eventually in 1983 her glittering career effectively ended, and the void was filled by newcomer Cindy Crawford, who bore a resemblance to her and was called "Baby Gia."
Gia attempted rehab several times to make a comeback. In 1982 she dreamed of a revival with a Cosmopolitan cover, but harsh assessments that she had lost her former radiance relegated her to catalog work. Returning to drugs again, she was hospitalized in 1985 with pneumonia symptoms and was diagnosed with AIDS, a then little-known disease.
Gia Carangi ultimately died on Nov. 18, 1986, at a hospital in Philadelphia, staying by her mother's side. Before her death she reflected on her blazing life, saying, "Life and death, energy and peace. Even if I stop today, my life had value. Even the terrible mistakes I made."
Her turbulent life was made into the 1998 HBO film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie, which once again resonated around the world. Gia Carangi, an icon ahead of her time and a tragic star, is still remembered by the fashion world 40 years later.
[Photo] Cosmopolitan SNS
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