Gia Carangi

[Stamoholic]

It was a long time ago, so my memory of what was said between us is vague. I had no idea that she was a famous model - I just liked the way she looked. Upstairs at the Mudd club was restricted access but I was somehow allowed to join this fun, eclectic crowd. Never been fazed by fame, my main objective was interesting and hopefully subversive content in terms of my portraits. If Gia had even mentioned she was a model, I wouldn't have realized she meant Vogue cover stature! I expect I may have told her of my own mishaps in LA the year before, when someone had tried to get me into modelling. Nasty business. I hated the insensitivity and callousness of the men who controlled the modelling world and didn't want to be objectified. I had already chosen to be behind the camera, creating, and not in front of it. I found Gia beautiful in a very basic, feral way, and never forgot the images I took of her. When I printed for this show I included them, completely unaware of who she was! Someone recognized her by chance on this blog and informed me. It's funny, as I've seen the film with Angelina, and when I printed the photos of Gia, remarked that they had similarly sensuous mouths! (Still unaware of her identity) I also remember thinking as I watched the film that I'd have loved to have photographed Gia- and not realizing that I already had in fact! I have to admit that I don't like the way photographers often portrayed her in the fashion magazines I've seen- the plastic Barbie doll look- they were underestimating her true beauty.

All from rebelrebelle

 

[Northern Star]

Hmmm, well, Angelina doesn't seem carefree to me, other than when she was ahh... medicated.

I meant carefree in a free-spirted kind of way which was what Angelina was like around the time she made the movie. But yeah I agree she probably was chemically altered then too.

 

[AbbeyRoad]

yes Sandy does remind me of Debbie Harry. I wouldn't have made the connection myself but I guess it is more than a coincidence being that Gia was infatuated with both of them. She supposedly liked blondes.

 

[FashionTopFace]

^That wasn't Halston, but Perry Ellis

She only did 1 show and that was Perry Ellis???? Hard to believe.

Furthermore, in the Self Destruction Docu Sandy says that Wangenheim was obsessed with her and he kept camera clicking. But there are only 3 or so pics released from Wangenheim to the public... where is the rest? Did he destroy everything before his car accident? There must be more and we have to find it!!!!!!

Gia For Ever

 

[lizzardqueen]

She only did 1 show and that was Perry Ellis???? Hard to believe.

No I think that is true. Quite positive actually, that's what it says in the book

 

[FashionTopFace]

OK but the biography has SO many errors too, it establishes Gia as only lesbian while lot of her friends such as sean byrnes knew she had also male lovers. I think someone else should write a new biography there has come so much info about her after the book photographers not mentioned in the book all write now their personal experiences with Gia. Also some of Gia's family memers wrote new stories about her on a forum. The new info keeps growing and the errors are very clear now in the books its should be rewritten either by Stephen or someone else.

ahh Im waiting for the Wangeheim info....

 

[SusanSuperstar]

I just found so many Gia Pictures from German Vogue on my computer (all scaned by me) probably some repost but I hope you still enjoy!

june 1981

june 1981

june 1980

september 1980

april 1983

september 1980

June 1980


May 1981


September 1980

 

[SusanSuperstar]

Us Vogue

 

[Style-Addict]

pics from the book "thing of beauty - the tragedy of supermodel Gia" by Stephen Fried, it's a great book

ebay

Thanks for the recommendation. I debated whether or not to purchase this last week. I will go pick it up this weekend, thanks for the suggestion!

 

[iluvjeisa]

She only did 1 show and that was Perry Ellis???? Hard to believe.

Furthermore, in the Self Destruction Docu Sandy says that Wangenheim was obsessed with her and he kept camera clicking. But there are only 3 or so pics released from Wangenheim to the public... where is the rest? Did he destroy everything before his car accident? There must be more and we have to find it!!!!!!

Gia For Ever

It may seem odd, but at the time, Perry Ellis was the hot new sportswear designer - Gia's only American Vogue cover and her portfolio inside that issue by Avedon was exclusively Perry Ellis.

He died the same year as Gia - of AIDS as well.

The von Wangenheim pix? You mean on the Citicorp building rooftop in the Italian Bazaar JUly/August 1978 issue? There are more than 3 images from that...

 

[SusanSuperstar]

^There are many pics of Gia by Wangenheim, I used to have that Bazaar and there were mare than 20 picture by him of Gia. He also photographes her for Us Vogue (Behind the fence) and that amazing Tattoo Picture.

 

[iluvjeisa]

Yes, and also some of her Dior ads - the "Reigning is your Dior" and the one with Patti Hansen.

There are 10+ pages in the July/August issue and 10 pages in the September issue of Italian Bazaar 1978. There are some more Bazaar pix too, not too sure what months.

* Bazaar IT 1978: Citicorp
* Bazaar IT 1978: Sept - w/ Juli Foster
* Other Bazaar ITs
* Dior ads (Reigning is...etc, not the Boutique ones)
* Behind the fence ones (Vogue and Fashion Theory)
* Tattoo ones
* 1979 Versace ads

Any more?

 

[á la Balenciaga]

Gosh, you could see the sadness in her eyes but still managed to looked so gorgeous and take such beautiful pictures.

we've lost quite a few girls(gia, ruslana, katoucha, heather..few more)...there better be a runway up in heaven

 

[lizzardqueen]

NEW PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just found this brilliant Arthur Elgort photo that I SO wish could be better quality and bigger and no giant EBAY sign over it..but it's still rare and still a gem for my eyes anyway!

LOVE Gia!!!

source: ebay

 

[AbbeyRoad]

nice! thanks for posting this find, lizardqueen.

 

[iluvjeisa]

OooO, Lizardqueen, you did it again...I wish they could just gather up the old snippets of her and publish a guargantuan volume, or better, just a little book each year

 

[diorelle]

Thanks for those scans susansuperstar! Gia was such an amazing model.

 

[lizzardqueen]

OooO, Lizardqueen, you did it again...I wish they could just gather up the old snippets of her and publish a guargantuan volume, or better, just a little book each year

That sounds like an incredibly perfect idea!

I have a few other small but exciting photos I found of Gia, never before seen, on a USB somewhere from when I was out of the country.....will seek and put up.

I hope whoever buys that photo could somehow put up a decent version for us somewhere on the net.....wishful thinking though I bet...makes me think, LORD how much more unseen of this girl is out there lurking in someone's wardrobe!

 

[Caty_conte]

Thanks for posting. I love seeing new photos of Gia. I agree that there are more out there and I wish we could see more.

CC

 

[MilOGuy]

source: http://www.arthurelgort.com/