Lisa Fonssagrives

Swedish-born Lisa Fonssagrives, who began her career in Paris, became one of the most recognized faces in fashion during the mid-twentieth century. In 1936, photographer Willy Maywald spotted her in an elevator and asked her to model hats. Those photographs led to test shots by Horst P. Horst, and by 1939 she had already appeared in the German weekly Der Stern. Fonssagrives came to the United States that same year, where she graced the covers of major magazines including Town & Country, Life, Time, Vogue, and the original Vanity Fair. She was described as "the highest paid, highest praised, high fashion model in the business." Blonde, slim, and standing 5'7" with measurements of 34–23–34, she worked with pioneering photographers such as Man Ray, Erwin Blumenfeld, Richard Avedon, and George Hoyningen-Huene. Her first marriage was to Parisian photographer Fernand Fonssagrives in 1935; they divorced in 1949. The following year she married American photographer Irving Penn and became his muse.

After retiring from modeling, Fonssagrives designed a leisurewear clothing line for Lord & Taylor. She later turned to sculpture in the 1960s, ultimately being represented by the Marlborough Gallery in Manhattan. She passed away on February 4, 1992, at the age of 80. Her legacy as a pioneering supermodel endures, with her image still celebrated for its elegance and versatility.