Who Was The First Ever Professional Model?

Before the modern world of glamour photography, the beautifully diverse world of modelling and the pursuit of unique aesthetics and beautiful displays of passion, there was a pioneer at the start that inspired the industry.

Interestingly, these bold first moves took place during a time when photography itself was not the norm for fashion imagery, and even the concept of the designer brand was in the process of being invented.

At the centre of this invention in Paris was the House of Worth, named for cofounder Charles 

Frederick Worth, one of the most important fashion innovators in history. 

To go through his contributions to clothing would require a hefty tome, but his contributions to modelling and photography are thanks to his wife Marie Augustine Vernet Worth.

Charles Worth changed how fashion designers operated, working from his lavish salon in the city rather than at the homes of luxury customers, and because of this, he wanted to showcase his particular styles and trends, both at the time major innovations.

To do this, rather than use somewhat unrealistic clothing mannequins as were typically used in tailors, Charles instead opted for “live mannequins” instead.

The first of these models was his wife Marie. Marie was already a very successful and enthusiastic saleswoman, having brought the salon several customers through her own connections, but would take that a step further by contributing to nearly every sale the couple would make.

She wore the clothes and showcased them in front of customers, who started to congregate at the salon itself, creating a social scene that became influential in the world of haute couture.

Whilst salon modelling has been replaced by structured fashion shows and glamour modelling has been used in nearly every industry in various forms, the fact remains that without Marie Worth, modelling and fashion would be an exceptionally different place.