Bettina Graziani | America’s First French Supermodel

by Danielle Combs
"The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress." --Hubert de Givenchy

Bettina Graziani will forever be remembered—her beauty, charm and wisdom will live on in the pages of magazines, books and those who cherish her heritage as the first French supermodel. Graziani is a cultural phenomenon, photographers adored her, editors were enamored with her vibrant red hair and she even moonlighted as a Givenchy muse. Today, women such as Graziani are hard to come by—she was a class act in every sense. In 1957 legendary, Vogue photographer, Irving Penn shot the famed model in the very same clothes she had arrived to set in—with that said she helped to launch the fabled house of Hubert de Givenchy. 

As we look back at the legacy Bettina has left she still possesses the same charm, beauty and poised elegance she has always had. 

Photos courtesy of Getty Images.