Cheryl Tiegs

Cheryl Rae Tiegs (born September 25, 1947) is an American model, actress, designer, author, and entrepreneuse. Frequently described as the first American supermodel, Tiegs is best known for her multiple appearances on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and TIME and for her 1978 "Pink Bikini" poster, which became an iconic image of 1970s pop culture.

Early life

Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, U.S. to Phyllis and Theodore Tiegs, a funeral director. Along with her family, Tiegs moved to Alhambra, California, in 1952. As a senior at Alhambra High School, Tiegs posed for a swimsuit ad for bathing suit manufacturer Cole of California; the ad, which appeared in Seventeen, launched her career as a model. Although she enrolled as an English major at California State University, Los Angeles, Tiegs left college before her junior year to pursue her career.

Career

Tiegs' break as a model came when she was 17, after the editorial staff at Glamour saw the Cole's bathing suit ad. Bypassing the traditional in-person meeting, Tiegs was booked on a shoot in Saint Thomas with Ali MacGraw, which resulted in her first Glamour cover. Later that same year, Tiegs made the covers of Seventeen and Elle. She subsequently appeared on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, among others.