Jill Munroe Was My Hair Hero

farrahfawcettposter.jpg.jpeg Not to turn Fashionista into a sad place, but another style icon did pass away yesterday and we should give her some props, too.

Farrah Fawcett was definitely one of the greatest beauty icons of all time. Really, who didn’t want to look like that lady at some point in life? Especially in the red Norma Kamali bathing suit, with perfectly tousled and feathered hair.

As much as Michael Jackson represented the 80s, Farrah was the 70s.

As a former beauty editor, I can’t even count the number of times that I referenced “The Farrah” (or the “Jill Munroe” as my Charlie’s Angels-obsessed self preferred) and worked on creating updated versions on set with a hair stylist and a model.

“The Rachel” was nothing in comparison to what this ‘do did to the nation. I’m pretty sure all of my mom’s friends (um, and their daughters) tried to rock it out at some point. And it was 100% percent American, worn by a girl from small town Texas.

Now, we love our Brazilians, eastern Europeans, and Russians as much as any model-philes, but Farrah had that quintessential All-American beauty that we actually don’t see very often on the runways these days.

Perhaps it’s time for a revival. Just a thought.

posted by Modupe

Jun 26, 2009 9:18AM

exactly. two greats left us today...

posted by guest

Jun 26, 2009 9:25AM

woah! a decent piece of writing on fashionista!

posted by justcallmemarge

Jun 26, 2009 9:47AM

Thank you for taking the time to talk about Farrah as well as Michael. Much of the news coverage that was originally devoted to her got shoved to the side when the news broke about Michael. Both should be equally mourned and respected.

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 26, 2009 11:03AM

Michael just HAD to steal the spotlight, hadn't he? rip Farrah.

posted by etoilee8

Jun 26, 2009 1:17PM

She was gorgeous. And when I watched the documentary about her cancer, I realized how incredibly brave she was too.

Jun 26, 2009 10:24PM

Thank you for writing about Farrah. I'm so sad for her family that a man such as Micheal Jackson is getting all the airtime.

Jun 27, 2009 12:33AM

To guest @ 10:24 PM:

Whatever your negative feelings about Michael Jackson are, there are OBVIOUSLY millions of people the world over who are devastated by his passing, it was a total shock, esp. on the same day that Farrah Fawcett died. So, with all due respect, it was tragic that FF lost her battle with cancer, I was so sad to hear the news yesterday morning. But, having another cultural icon die hours later, of such magnitude and talent, is just too big to ignore. I did feel that FF got shortshifted, but many news outlets did tributes to both of them later, so please keep that in mind. They both deserve to be respectfully remembered for the contributions they gave to the world. May they rest in peace and may their families find some solace amidst their grief. - Miss V in NYC

Jun 27, 2009 3:01PM

r.i.p. farrah

and it's sad that people are making this into a contest. personally, i have never watched her on screen so she's never had an impact on me but i'm saddened by her death because she is a human being. show some respect instead of pitting her against someone else

Jun 28, 2009 2:29PM

Michael represented the 70's as well.

Michael represented the 70's just as much as farrah did.

Jun 28, 2009 7:43PM

no one i know rly cares that farrah is dead i mean it is sad but Michael Jackson is more famous and had a bigger influence then she did, if she were so important as all you people say shouldn't she still be mentioned in the news more than Michael Jackson. Think about that!

posted by Peter

Jun 29, 2009 3:02AM

My roommate was saying kind of the same thing... "How sad that my hair icon and my music icon died on the same day."

Jun 29, 2009 5:39PM

R.I.P. Farrah.

And thank you for the brazilian part.! ;)

Jul 01, 2009 2:48PM

In response to:

"Now, we love our Brazilians, eastern Europeans, and Russians as much as any model-philes, but Farrah had that quintessential All-American beauty that we actually don’t see very often on the runways these days...perhaps it's time for a revival"

Was it just me, or did that comment seem a little offensive? The idea that an All-American model (read: Aryan-American) is the "underdog" in a sea of white non-American models is adding insult to injury to all the non-white models who are most often overlooked (or in the case of Asians, totally left in the dust). The all-American blond blue-eyed stereotype has held back minorities for decades; only recently has the definition of "all-American" been challenged. A number of women spent the 70's miserable that they didn't have that Farrah "look."

I hate to have to even clarify, but I'm a blond blue-eyed American girl, and even I'm offended by the comment on behalf of women with features different from my own.

A comeback for big Farrah-hair, big smiles, and healthy bodies on the runway instead of miserable, wan-looking waifs? Yes, please. But adding yet more white to the existing Aryan Nation palette of models? No, thank you.

Jul 02, 2009 6:31PM

I appreciate a blond blue-eyed American girl standing up for the non-blond non-blue-eyed American girls. 'Cause I'm just as American as you are even though I looked like Michael Jackson (brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin). So, thank you, and thank you MJ for being a music icon, a style icon and for breaking the color barrier and showing America and the world that black is beautiful and all-American too! - Miss V in NYC

Jul 03, 2009 11:16PM

guest number 15. your photo does not make you look like the (brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin) chica that you claim to be. you got issues. forget them. shake it sistah...nobody shakes it like a black girl!

Jul 03, 2009 11:38PM

16, that's the stock photo all guests get.

Jul 04, 2009 3:02PM

Thank you Guest 17 (this is Guest 15).

Though I hope Guest 16 was joking. :)