Class Is Forever: Thinking Of Carmen Dell'Orefice

Carmen Dell'Orefice
First time I laid my eyes on incredibly graceful lady in Rolex add displayed in Vogue, I immediately knew three things: 1. Class is really and truly forever. 2. I knew what kind of hat I would give to Carmen if she would walk in my Atelier (the girl can dream, can't she?) 3.I knew that is how I want to look when I grow up! ...And, of course, I had to know everything there is to know about this magnificent ageless Beauty.

Hat I designed in my Atelier for my latest collection . I have named this hat "Shadow", the design I can see Carmen wearing...

Carmen was born on June 3rd, 1931. She was discovered at the age of 13 during her bus ride she usually took to get to her ballet class. Unfortunately, her first test pictures for a flop, but she did sign contract with Vogue at $7.50 per hour in 1946 at the age of 16.

Carmen Dell'Orefice

Despite modeling and despite the fact that Carmen and her mother were accomplished seamstresses and made extra money, Carmen and her mother were poor. She roller-skated to Vogue assignments to save bus fare. Carmen was so malnourished that famed fashion photographers Horst P. Horst and Cecil Beaton had to pin back dresses and stuff her body with tissue.

Carmen Dell'Orefice

In 1947, Carmen got a raise to $10-$25 per hour. She appeared on the October 1947 cover of Vogue, at age 15, one of the youngest Vogue cover models ever (along with Niki Taylor, Brooke Shields, and Monika Schnarre). Carmen Dell'Orefice

Unfortunately, despite early successes at a very young age, modeling agent Eileen Ford refused to represent her and Vogue very soon lost interest in her. After doctors prescribed shots to start puberty, she instead started working for catalogs and lingerie, making $300 per hour. It was then that she joined Ford Modeling Agency in 1953.

Carmen Dell'Orefice

According to "Vanity Fair" magazine, Carmen who have done very well for herself against all odds, lost most of her money in the stock market in 1980-1990. She was forced to auction off her famous modeling photographs from the 1940s-1980s through Sotheby's
In April 2009, Carmen was interviewed for Vanity Fair magazine's story "Madoff's World." Photographs of Carmen and photographs she took of Madoff appear in this article.
In 1994, with what little money she had left, and with money from boyfriend Norman Levy, she invested with Madoff. For twelve years, Ruth and Bernie Madoff and Carmen and Norman Levy were a "foursome," traveling and partying together on lavish yachts and homes.

Carmen Dell'Orefice

Levy died in 2005, at age 93, and Madoff was the executor of his will, which had $244 million in assets according to Carmen. Madoff further used this money to lure in about 13,500 individuals and charities. She continued to regularly have dinner with the Madoffs after Levy's death.

Carmen Dell'Orefice

In December 2008, a 68-year-old friend who invested her life savings with Madoff, telephoned Carmen to inform her that she too, had been swindled. Carmen said, "For the second time in my life, I've lost all of my life savings...

Carmen Dell'Orefice

Carmen Dell'Orefice