100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Fashion Influential #51: Farrah Fawcett

By Alicia on

Farrah Fawcett was a pinup queen of the '70s and '80s. Image via Flickr.

FARRAH FAWCETT
Born: February 2, 1947, Corpus Christi, TX
Died: June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA [Read More]
Stylish roles:
Myra Breckenridge, Logan's Run, Charlie's Angels
Fans:
Mary-Kate Olsen, Gwen Stefani, the Victoria's Secret hair and makeup department
Beginnings.
Texas-born Farrah Fawcett hit megastardom with her role as athletic crimefighter Jill Munroe on Charlie's Angels - but it was really the timeless swimsuit poster released during the show's first season that made her a style icon. Her toothy grin, blonde curls, and red swimsuit made her the woman all women wanted to be. It sold 12 million copies.

Career Highs.
Farrah's career as a sex symbol and fashion icon hit its zenith in the late '70s. Farrah's signature big, blond, feathered 'do (styled by Allen Edwards) was the most requested hairstyle of the decade, and everyone wanted to know where they could find that little red swimsuit. She also appeared nude in a 1995 issue of Playboy, which became the biggest-seller of the '90s.
The reason that the all-American boy prefers beauty to brains is that he can see better than he can think.
- Farrah Fawcett

The poster that launched Fawcett's career.
Career Lows.
In 1997, Farrah Fawcett appeared on Late Night with David Letterman to plug her second nude pictorial for Playboy. She drew attention for her rambling, giggling, nearly incoherent interview, leading many to assume she was dabbling with drugs. Fawcett later said she'd just been palling around with Letterman, playing the blonde ditz. We don't believe it, but maybe she's a better actress than we give her credit for.

Legacy.
Farrah Fawcett defined the look of the 1970's sex-kitten: skimpy clothes, big smiles, and masses of curls. Her vivacious, athletic demeanor was a welcome antidote to the stick-straight waifs who dominated the late '60s and early '70s. Farrah died on June 25, 2009, after a prolonged battle with anal cancer. She will undoubtedly continue to influence the looks of today. She certainly deserves some credit for inspiring the glamazon Victoria's Secret "Angel" look.

Heidi Klum channels Farrah's look at a 2005 Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Get the Look.
Farrah's classic look is almost solely defined by her hair and her smile. Ask your stylist for long layers. You can either blow dry them with a diffuser for big, loose curls, or use a curling iron or a straightener to shape Farrah's legendary face-framing wings. If possible, try to get your teeth in Colgate commercial condition (Crest White Strips do work miracles).

- Alicia