Gia Carangi, who was one of the biggest fashion models in America, was a Philly native. Unfortunately, she died at an early age, but during her time, she left a major mark on the fashion world.
Carangi was born in 1960 and grew up in Torresdale. She went to Lincoln High School, and her dad owned a local chain called Hoagie City.
In her biography Thing of Beauty, Stephen Fried wrote that Carangi effortlessly redefined the fashion scene while living in Philly.
She moved to New York City in 1977 at 17 and her modeling career quickly blew up. By 1979, she ended up on the cover of British Vogue, and she landed multiple ad campaigns with major luxury brands like Armani, Versace and Dior.
Carangi had a striking androgynous look that fashion editors loved to work with. She also openly identified as a lesbian, which was rare at the time in the industry.
In December of 1986, Carangi died from AIDS at 26 years old at Hahnemann Hospital. In 1998, Mila Kunis and Angelina Jolie starred in an HBO biopic telling the story of Carangi’s life and tragic death.
