Supermodel Spread 12

Shelley, from a 15-page ad/spread

for Krizia, 1976

Shelley was one of the highest paid Supermodels by the mid 1970s; and in 1976, she landed a 15-page ad/spread for the Italian designer label, Krizia, which appeared on the pages Italian Vogue. The spread featured fabrics and yarns by Bini, Cantons, Grawitz, Overdrive, Quatrefoil, Rainbowand Solbiati. Makeup was by Deborah, handbags by Bottega Veneta, footwear by Andrea Pfister and Mario Valentino, andaccessories by Krizia. It was photographed by Steen Svensson, Shelley's boyfriend at the time.

Shelley, from a 15-page ad/spread

for Krizia, 1976

At A Benefit

Shelley attended a dinner party to celebrate the unveiling of a print of a painting by Senator Ted Kennedy to benefit the Very Special Arts. It was held at Jimmy's Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California in 1987. Shelley was one gorgeous attendee.

THE Charlie Girl

Shelley in a 1978 Charlie perfume ad

Shelley was THE Charlie Girl from 1976 to 1982 and her image made the brand one of the best-selling fragrances of all time. It catapulted not just the brand but her as well, to worldwide fame and recognition. Her contract with Revlon was a landmark too. She was one of the first models to sign a lucrative and exclusive contract with a major cosmetics company, making her one of the highest-paid models of the era, a true Supermodel.

a closeup of Shelley from the ad

Shelley and Oprah 1

screen captures of Shelley on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2008

Shelley's Charlie Girl image had a huge impact on women when it first came out. It came out in the midst of the women's movement and THE Charlie Girl's independent and fabulous lifestyle was something women aspired to at the time. The norm then was that women needed men in order to be fulfilled. Women needed to attract a man, marry a man, have kids with a man in order to be fulfilled. But Shelley's Charlie Girl didn't need a man. She was independent, was happy about it and was utterly fabulous and fulfilled on her own. She could go out alone at night (no escort? a big no-no at the time), drive herself anywhere and just own any room she entered. It was such a powerful message that even a young Oprah Winfrey aspired to become a Charlie Girl herself. So much so that in 2008, she featured Shelley on her show and had a chat with her about being a Charlie Girl.

more screen captures of Shelley on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2008

Two-Tone Dress

Shelley in a spread for Sears Fall And Winter 1972 catalog

Shelley appeared in many spreads throughout Sears Fall And Winter 1972 catalog. In the spread called "Fortrel Polyester Double-Knits", she modeled a two-toned dress that came with a matching full-length vest. It was a hard-to-beat look that gave buyers two looks at the price of one. And Shelley gave both looks a lot of panache.

closeups of Shelley from the spread

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to One and All!!!

Paparazzi Capture

a paparazzi capture of Shelley from around 1982

Shelley gained worldwide recognition as THE Charlie Girl; but her recognition factor skyrocketed when she joined the cast of Charlie's Angels. When she left the series, she was typecast. But she was out to prove that she could go beyond the acting exposure the hit series afforded her. She embarked on stage work and she carefully chose her film roles, that by 1982, she had garnered great reviews of her work.