Veruschka von Lehndorff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Veruschka
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Von Lehndorff in 2013
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| Born |
Vera Gottliebe Anna Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort
14 May 1939 |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Hair color | Dark blonde |
| Eye color | Blue / grey |
| Agency | The Lions (New York) |
Vera Lehndorff, known professionally as Veruschka, was born on May 14, 1939. She is a famous German model, actress, and artist. Many people call her the "first German supermodel" because of her unique style and impact on fashion.
Contents
Early Life and Family History
Veruschka was born in Königsberg, East Prussia. Her full name is Vera Gottliebe Anna Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort. She came from an old noble family called the House of Lehndorff. Her father, Count Heinrich von Lehndorff-Steinort, was a German aristocrat and army officer. He became part of the German Resistance after seeing terrible things happen to Jewish children.
Veruschka grew up at Steinort, a large family estate in East Prussia. When she was five years old, her father was executed. This happened because he was believed to be involved in a plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler in the 20 July Plot. After his death, Veruschka and her family were held in special camps until World War II ended. The war also left her family without a home, as their estate was taken over. Because of these difficult times, Veruschka attended 13 different schools as a young girl.
How Veruschka Became Famous
Veruschka first studied art in Hamburg. Then she moved to Florence, Italy. There, when she was 20, a photographer named Ugo Mulas discovered her. This led her to become a full-time model. In Paris, she met Eileen Ford, who ran the well-known Ford Modeling Agency.
In 1961, Veruschka moved to New York City, but she soon returned to Munich. She became very popular and was known for having many magazine covers displayed at her modeling agency. She also appeared for a short time in the 1966 movie Blow Up by Michelangelo Antonioni. This movie helped her become even more famous.
Magazine Covers and Fashion Work
Veruschka appeared on the cover of Life magazine in August 1967. She was also featured many times on the covers of all four major Vogue magazines: American, Italian, French, and British. This happened throughout the 1960s.
She worked with famous artists like Salvador Dalí and photographer Peter Beard. Peter Beard even took her to Kenya for a photoshoot. At the peak of her career, Veruschka earned a lot of money, sometimes as much as $10,000 in one day!
However, in 1975, she left the fashion industry. This was due to disagreements with Grace Mirabella, the new editor-in-chief of Vogue. Veruschka explained that Mirabella wanted her to be more "normal" or "traditional," which Veruschka did not want to be.
Veruschka inspired many top photographers of her time. These included Franco Rubartelli, Richard Avedon, Bert Stern, David Bailey, Steven Meisel, Francesco Scavullo, and Peter Beard. She also worked for major fashion designers like Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ailanto.
Veruschka was also a pioneer in body painting. In 1966, she did a photoshoot where her body was painted to look like clothing. She also worked for important fashion houses like YSL. Since 1990, she has worked for Helmut Lang and Paco Rabanne.
Later Career and Appearances
Even today, Veruschka sometimes appears on fashion runways. In 2000, she was a guest model at the Melbourne Fashion Festival in Australia. In October 2010, at 71 years old, she modeled for Giles Deacon during London Fashion Week. She also appeared in the Resort 2018 lookbook for Acne Studios in 2017.
Veruschka also provided vocals for some songs on the 2010 album Mimikry. This album was a collaboration between Blixa Bargeld and Alva Noto.
Filmography
Veruschka has appeared in several films, often playing herself or unique characters.
- Blowup (1966) – Herself
- Veruschka: Poetry of a Woman (1971)
- Salomé (1972) – Myrrhina
- Evil Thoughts (1976) – Mario Manani's Lover
- Flesh Color (1978) – Anna
- Milo Milo (1979) – Barbara
- Bizarre Styles (1981) – Prophet
- Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press (1984) – Dorian Gray
- Vom Zusehen beim Sterben (1985) – Herself
- The Bride (1985) – Countess
- L'Orchestre rouge (1989) – Anna Maximovitch
- Veruschka – Die Inszenierung (m)eines Körpers (2005) – Herself
- Casino Royale (2006) – Gräfin von Wallenstein
Images for kids
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Veruschka in 2013
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Veruschka von Lehndorff in Munich, 1960
See also
In Spanish: Veruschka para niños
