BEAUTY ICON: MARISA BERENSON

BEAUTY ICON: MARISA BERENSON

Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947, New York City)

 is an American actress and model.

Early life

She is the elder daughter of Robert L. Berenson, an American diplomat turned shipping executive, who was of Lithuanian Jewish descent; his family's original surname was Valvrojenski. Her mother was born Countess Maria Luisa Yvonne Radha de Wendt de Kerlor, better known as Gogo Schiaparelli, a socialite of Italian, Swiss, French, and Egyptian ancestry.

Berenson's maternal grandmother was the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli  and her maternal grandfather was Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor, a Theosophist and psychic medium. Her younger sister, Berinthia, became a model, actress, and photographer as Berry Berenson. She also is a great-grandniece of Giovanni Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer who believed he had discovered the supposed canals of Mars, a great-grandniece of art expert Bernard Berenson (1865–1959) and his sister Senda Berenson (1868–1954), an athlete and educator who was one of the first two women elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Personal life

In the early 1970s, Berenson was the companion of the French banking heir Baron David René de Rothschild, the younger son of Baron Guy de Rothschild.

Berenson's first husband was James Randall, a rivet manufacturer. They married in Beverly Hills, California, in 1976 and divorced in 1978. They have one daughter, Starlite Melody Randall (born 1977).

Her second husband was Aaron Richard Golub, a lawyer, whom she married in 1982 and divorced in 1987. In the divorce proceedings, the judge ruled that "the increased value of Ms. Berenson's acting and modeling career [during the marriage] were marital property" and therefore subject to consideration in any settlement agreements.

On September 11, 2001, Marisa's younger sister and sole sibling, Berinthia "Berry" Perkins, widow of actor Anthony Perkins, was killed in the first flight to hit the World Trade Center. Marisa was also in an airplane during the terrorist attacks, flying from Paris to New York. In an interview with CBS, she told of the experience and how hours later she landed in Newfoundland (flights were diverted to Canada), and was told of her sister's death by a phone call with her daughter. Said Berenson: "I have hope and tremendous faith. I think that's what gets you through life ... through tragedies is when you have faith."

TRIVIA

Granddaughter of famous fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.

Older sister of Berry Berenson.

Aunt of actor Oz Perkins and musician Elvis Perkins.

Marisa's sister, actress/photographer Berry Berenson, was one of the 58 victims of the terrorist-hijacked plane that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Former sister-in-law of actor Anthony Perkins.

Marisa and Jim Randall lived in a million-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills he bought from Debbie Reynolds. The house had a private movie theater with 35mm projectors fitted with Cinemascope lenses. It also included his and hers bathrooms, the floors and walls of which were marble and granite. It had three swimming pools with waterfalls one into the other on the side of a hill. It had a private barbershop with regulation barber chair, sauna and gym. The house was fitted with state-of-the-art security devices which included TV camera, motion detectors and wireless "panic buttons" which they carried with them in the house, and which were wired directly into the Beverly Hills Police Dept. A security guard lived on the premises and manned a control room in the basement where he monitored the TV cameras, etc. The wedding of Randall and Berenson was held in this house, and George Hamilton was Randall's best man. The reception turned into a brawl when some of the guests got into a fight.

Before entering films, she was one of the top fashion models of the 1960s, a favorite at "Vogue".

Measurements: 34B-23-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Her daughter, Starlite Melody Randall, appears on the reality show "Gastineau Girls" (2005) on E!.

Is of Lithuanian, Italian, Egyptian, Swiss, and French ethnicity.

Her father was Robert L. Berenson, a U.S. diplomat of Lithuanian-Jewish descent (original family name Valvrojenski). He was related to legendary art critic Bernard Berenson, an expert in Italian Renaissance. Her mother was Countess Maria Luisa (Marisa) Yvonne Radha (aka "Gogo") de Wendt de Kerlor. Gogo was the daughter of Swiss-French Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor and fashion designer ElsaSchiaparelli. Born in Rome, Schiaparelli was the daughter of Celestino Schiaparelli (1841-1919), of Italian stock, and wife, of Egyptian stock. (Her great-uncle was Giovanni Schiaparelli, an astronomer who discovered the canals of Mars). When Schiaparelli married Count Wilhelm, they relocated to Greenwich Village where Gogo was born. He soon fled, and Elsa's career in fashion designing began. She was hugely successful in Paris, second only to Coco Chanel and she even collaborated with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. (Marisa herself maintained the tradition, becoming a top model in the 60s both in Europe and in New York).

Best friend of Cabaret (1972) co-star Liza Minnelli.

She and ex husband Jim Randall have a daughter Starlite Melody Randall born in 1977.

Berenson is chairman of the board of Culture Project, an organization that sponsors the theater.

Berenson appeared on the cover of the July 1970 issue of Vogue as well as the cover of Time on 15 December 1975.

Yves Saint-Laurent dubbed her "the girl of the Seventies".

In the early 1970s, Berenson was the companion of the French banking heir Baron David René de Rothschild, the younger son of Baron Guy de Rothschild.

In the late 1970s, it was announced she would star as Vivien Leigh in a biographical film. Unfortunately, the plans eventually fell.

Personal Quotes

She was just this angel that landed on this planet for a short amount of time. - On her late sister Berry Berenson

I hope she didn't suffer. It's hard to take in. I have hope and tremendous faith. I think that's what gets you through life...through tragedies is when you have faith. -- MB commenting on the plane crash death of her sister Berry during the 9/11 attacks.

My ultimate goal is to become a saint.

                                      

    

Mykie's Note:

Ever so attractive & ubber Glamorous, She  sometimes seemed to be more famous for her striking beautyand her social status of the time, one of the pretty jet set crowd, pedigree darling,  and she had pedigree in abundance. At the same time she was a serious talented actress.Cast on the more decorative parts in American films, but in international productions she was given better opportunities to showcase her talent.

I have seen many of her films and she does have an amazing grace on film. I wish she would have done more American films. 

I'm Just Saying...........Look at this!

HELENA CHRISTENSEN BY GUY AROCH FOR UN-TITLED PROJECT

she's ageless, doesn't this woman ever age? amazing! simple and so sexy! without trying.

The Begining Of SUPERMODELS: JEAN SHRIMPTON

The Begining of 

JEAN SHRIMPTON

Jean Rosemary Shrimpton (born 7 November 1942 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English model and actress. She was an icon of Swinging London and is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels. She appeared on covers such asVogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Elle, Ladies' Home Journal, Newsweek, and Time magazines. She starred alongside Paul Jones in the 1967 film Privilege.

Biography

Shrimpton graduated from Lucie Clayton's modelling school at 17 and began modelling in 1960. She has appeared on the covers of popular magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Vanity Fair. During her career, Shrimpton was widely reported to be the "world's highest paid model",the "most famous model", and the "most photographed in the world". She was also described as having the "world's most beautiful face". She was dubbed "The It Girl", "The Face", "The Face of the Moment", and "The Face of the '60s". Glamour named her "Model of The Year" in June 1963. She contrasted the aristocratic-looking models of the 1950s by representing the coltish,gamine look of the youthquake movement in 1960s Swinging London, and she was reported as "the symbol of Swinging London." By breaking the popular mould of voluptuous figures with her long legs and slim figure, she was nicknamed "The Shrimp".  Shrimpton was also known for her long hair with bangs, wide doe-eyes , long wispy eyelashes, arched brows, and pouty lips.

Shrimpton also helped launch the miniskirt. In 1965, Shrimpton caused a sensation in Melbourne, Australia, when she arrived for the Victoria Derby wearing a white shift dress designed by Colin Rolfe which ended 10 cm (3.9 in) above her knees. She wore no hat, stockings or gloves and wore a man's watch, which was unusual at the time. Shrimpton was unaware she would cause such reaction in the Melbourne community and media.

In her article "The Man in the Bill Blass Suit", Nora Ephron tells of the time when Jean Shrimpton posed for a Revlon ad in an antique white Chantilly lace dress by Blass. Minutes after the lipstick placard hit the drugstores, the Revlon switchboard lit up with calls from women demanding to know where they could buy the dress.

Shrimpton was once engaged to photographer David Bailey. They met in 1960 at a photo shoot that Shrimpton, who was then an unknown model, was working on with photographer Brian Duffy for a Kellogg's corn flakes advertisement. 

Duffy told Bailey she was too posh for him, but Bailey was undeterred, and he and Shrimpton subsequently had a relationship for four years, ending in 1964. During the affair, Bailey was still married to his first wife Rosemary Bramble but left her after nine months and later divorced to be with Shrimpton. Shrimpton's first photo session with Bailey was in 1960 (either for Condé Nast's Brides on 7 December 1960 or for British Vogue). She started to become known in the modelling world around the time she was dating Bailey. Shrimpton has stated she owed Bailey her career, and he is often credited for discovering her and being influential in her career. In turn, she was Bailey's muse, and his photographs of her helped him rise to prominence in his early career.

 Shrimpton's other celebrated romance was with actor Terence Stamp. She married photographer Michael Cox in 1979 at Penzance register office when she was four months pregnant  with their son Thaddeus (born in 1979). They own the Abbey Hotel in Penzance, Cornwall, now managed by Thaddeus and his family. Her younger sister Chrissie was also an actress, linked to both Mick Jagger and Steve Marriott of the Small Faces.

In March 2011, the BBC announced that the story of her relationship with David Bailey will be explored in a film, We'll Take Manhattan, with Karen Gillan playing the part of Shrimpton.

Trivia 

Owns and runs a 1620 hotel called the Abbey Hotel, with husband Michael Cox and son Thaddeus in Penzance, Cornwall, England. They purchased the hotel in 1980.

Prior to Twiggy, she was one of the very top international fashion models of the 1960s.

Has a son, Thaddeus, by husband Michael Cox.

"Jean Shrimpton, An Autobiography" was published in 1990.

Her sister Chrissie was also a leading model and dated Mick Jagger.

Measurements: 33-22-34 (as novice model), 34B-23-35 (during prime of her career in 1960s), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Mentioned in Smithereen's song "Behind the Wall of Sleep". "She had hair like Jean Shrimpton back in 1965.

Older sister of Chrissie Shrimpton.

Was ranked #18 in Channel 5's "World's greatest supermodel".

Was told to take up modeling by a stranger at the polo in Windsor Great Park and by film director Cy Endfield when she was taking lunch in Hyde Park. Afterwards, she went on a Lucie Clayton course which lasted about a month.

Attended a secretarial course near Marble Arch in Central London for a year. Had two weeks of work experience in a typing pool in Oxford Street.

At age five, she went to St Bernard's Convent in High Wycombe, UK.

Prototypical Supermodel who was one of the faces of swinging sixties London.

She and her photographer David Bailey transformed the fashion pages of women's magazines as Bailey snapped Shrimpton in informal poses.

Personal Quotes

[in 1999, on her career] It was great fun becoming famous, but I got tired of it.

[on her looks] If you take off the make-up, I'm ugly.

FILMS:

Double Pisces, Scorpio Rising - 1970

Privilege - 1967 CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL FILM

Mykie's Note:  I have to admit I have known the name Jean Shripmton i think ever since I could remember hearing the name. I knew she was a model, but i never really gave her much attention. As of late, i had come across one of the only two films she ever made. PRIVILEGE, 1967, a groovy odd little film that i think was way ahead of it's time, rarely seen also staring MANFRED MANN'S Paul Jones, I loved it and I loved Jean in it, hence since then he has been an obsession , my beauty obsession. She was perfect and in that era before the term supermodel, she was the first...

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"she had hair like Jeanie Shrimpton back in 1962"...The Smithereens


Check out this great article that Jean just did, gives you a little insight to what she's up to and her philosophy on being a model.
Interview~Jean Shrimpton

2006

JUN ROPE' CM / Richard Avedon・Jean Shrimpton (1973) 60 second from junofficialtv on Vimeo.