A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Though models are predominantly female, there are also male models, especially to model clothing. Models may work professionally or casually.
The Palace of Versailles is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 19 kilometers (12 mi) west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, under the direction of the French Ministry of Culture, by the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles. About 15,000,000 people visit the palace, park, or gardens of Versailles every year, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.
Heidi Klum is a German and American model, television host, producer, and businesswoman. She appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1998 and was the first German model to become a Victoria's Secret Angel.
William Ralph Blass was an American fashion designer. He was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999).
Christopher Allen Darden is an American lawyer, author, and lecturer. He worked for 15 years in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, where he gained national attention as a co-prosecutor in the O. J. Simpson murder case.
Jay Manuel is a Canadian TV host, Creative Director, make-up artist, and author. He is most recognizable as the Creative Director on the popular reality television show America's Next Top Model for the first eighteen seasons. Manuel also was featured as the host of Canada's Next Top Model.
Robin Givhan is an American fashion editor and Pulitzer Prize winning writer.
Anne Klein was an American fashion designer and businesswoman, the founder and namesake of Anne Klein & Company.
Paris Fashion Week is a series of designer presentations held semiannually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation. Paris Fashion Week is held at venues throughout the city.
Jourdan Sherise Dunn is a British model. She was discovered in Hammersmith Primark in 2006 and signed to The Squad Management in London. She began appearing on international runways in early 2007. In February 2008, she was the first black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade.
The Peterhof Palace, is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia, commissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France. Originally intending it in 1709 for country habitation, Peter the Great sought to expand the property as a result of his visit to the French royal court in 1717, inspiring the nickname of "The Russian Versailles". The architect between 1714 and 1728 was Domenico Trezzini, and the style he employed became the foundation for the Petrine Baroque style favored throughout Saint Petersburg. Also in 1714, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond, likely chosen due to his previous collaborations with Versailles landscaper André Le Nôtre, designed the gardens. Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli completed an expansion from 1747 to 1756 for Elizabeth of Russia. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jessica Nicole Trisko Darden is a Canadian academic, activist, former model, and beauty queen. She is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the Security and Foreign Policy Initiative at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute. She is also a Non-Resident Fellow with the Eurasia Group Foundation.
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri is a Indian artist, film director, and photographer.
Katherine Elizabeth Upton is an American model and actress. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2011, and was the cover model for the 2012, 2013 and 2017 issues. In addition, she was the subject of the 100th-anniversary Vanity Fair cover.
The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show was a historic fashion show held on November 28, 1973, in the Palace of Versailles to raise money for its restoration.
Patricia Cleveland is an American fashion model who initially attained success in the 1960s and 1970s and was one of the first African-American models within the fashion industry to achieve prominence as a runway model and print model.
Amina Warsuma is an American model, author, actress and film maker.
Alva Chinn is an American fashion model.
Bethann Hardison is an American fashion model and activist. Hardison is well known for being one of the first high profile black models after her appearance at the 1973 Battle of Versailles fashion show. She is also known for her activism on diversity in the fashion industry. Hardison has received several accolades for her work, including the 2014 CFDA Founders Award. Hardison is the mother of actor Kadeem Hardison.
Charlene Dash is an African-American model. Dash is one of the models recognized by the 2011 Huffington Post Game Changer Awards. The awards honored African American models featured in the Versailles fashion show entitled The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show which was a fashion show held on November 28, 1973, in the Palace of Versailles in France. The fashion show was organized to raise money to restore the palace. Charlene Dash was among several models recognized including Pat Cleveland, Bethann Hardison, Billie Blair, Alva Chinn, Norma Jean Darden, Jennifer Brice, Barbara Jackson, China Machado, Ramona Saunders, and Amina Warsuma.
