Va Va Voom: Veruschka

Once lauded for the sexiest scene in film history, Veruschka (born Vera Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort) stormed the runways of the 1960s and 70s and made a brief but memorable appearance in Michelangelo Antonioni’s cult classic Blowup (1966). At the time she fought the prevailing beauty ideals, managing to glamorize the tall, leggy physique and securing her position as fashion’s first female supermodel. Her rise to fame was documented by numerous Vogue covershoots and countless editorials. As a self-styled glamazon she gained notoriety for her penchant for body painting, a pursuit that she continued in the art world after leaving fashion and modeling in the mid 70s. –SHUTTERBUG

French publishing house Assouline has compiled a retrospective collection of images from her career as part of The Ultimate Collection. Priced at $500, it’s going to leave a mark on your wallet but not half as big as the mark Veruschka made on the fashion world. The limited edition volume is scheduled for release September 1.