a closeup of Shelley
from a modeling pic from 1974
When Shelley graduated from Smith College in 1970, she decided to become a model full-time. Represented by the top model management company, Ford Models Inc., she began her transition from teen model to top model (and eventually to Supermodel.) Her then boyfriend, photographer Steen Svensson, and make-up artist Rick Gillette came up with test shots of Shelley in the early '70s with the hope that the images could get her on the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar - which eventually happened. She appeared on both the US and international editions of the magazines.
Shelley in a modeling pic from 1974
In 1976, after a string of other models, Shelley signed a ground-breaking exclusive modeling contract with Revlon. She was hand-picked to represent the Revlon Charlie brand. Rick Gillette recalls, "Shelley Hack was really the perfect girl for Charlie. I remember when Revlon creative director David Leddick had Steen Svensson shoot the first presentation with her that got her the contract." And Shelley became a sort of poster girl for the modern, gorgeous, sexy, young woman in charge of her own life; and everyone wanted to be a Charlie Girl. Rick recalls, "I can't tell you how many of these ads we shot for Revlon from Central Park to San Francisco and Paris the list grew and grew for years." For almost seven years (1976 to 1982), Shelley was the image model of Revlon Charlie; so much so that Shelley and Revlon Charlie became synonymous.
