Gillis MacGill, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Gillis MacGill

American model

Date of Birth: 02-Sep-1928

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, United States

Date of Death: 16-Dec-2013

Profession: businessperson, model

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Virgo


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About Gillis MacGill

  • Gillis MacGill (September 2, 1928 – December 16, 2013) was fashion model who opened her own modelling agency, Mannequin, in November 1960.
  • It was located at 10 West 57th Street in New York City.
  • At the time MacGill was thirty-two years of age and was earning $60 an hour as a runway model.
  • She was a top model for twenty years.
  • In 1972 her business was called Mannequin Fashion Models Agency.
  • She was married to Bruce Addison; both were listed among New York Social Diary Personages on August 18, 2005.She began as a stock girl with Bergdorf Goodman in 1944.
  • MacGill's first assignment as a model occurred when she was asked to appear for a store fashion show.
  • Following the show she was approached by store president, Andrew Goodman.
  • He queried her as to why she appeared so aloof, even angry.
  • MacGill responded that her facial expressions were a means of dealing with fear.
  • Beginning in 1949 she worked in the posh salons of designers and 7th Avenue (Manhattan) showrooms.
  • She believed her success as a model was a product of her desire to make good.
  • I wanted desperately to be a model.
  • I craved it.
  • At one time she was one of 25 house models at Bergdorf Goodman and one of 10 at Nettie Rosenstein.She started Mannequin with twelve models who looked very similar in a group photograph taken by noted photographer Mark Shaw.
  • MacGill explained that no two girls show a dress the same way and projecting yourself on a runway or in a Seventh Avenue showroom is a skill.Mozella Roberts, an early African American model, was hired by MacGill in 1961.
  • Roberts worked as a showroom model for Scaasi and Arthur Jablow, as well as doing freelance for many manufacturers and stores.
  • She modelled designs by Donald Brooks during a costume audition for No Strings, a Broadway musical by Richard Rodgers.
  • No Strings revolved around a black American model who was employed in Paris, France.In October 1965 a New York Times pictorial featured the visit of Prince Harald V of Norway to New York City.
  • One photo showed Macgill curtsying to the prince at a fashion show.
  • She was modelling a white mink jacket and navy bell bottom pants from Bonwit Teller.
  • When designers began to cut dresses to the navel, in 1967, MacGill commented that the word is out, the bosom can show.
  • As proprietor of Mannequin she sent out the same models as always.
  • She said that formerly models turned their shoulders and hid their breasts.
  • Most who worked for her measured 34A or 34B, however MacGill noted it was untrue that models were not well-proportioned.
  • They are as generously endowed as any size 8.
  • As for her own taste, MacGill confessed to having tried every fashion fad of the times.
  • I constantly change my hair, my make-up, my attitude.In 1985 MacGill was president of the Mannequin division of Legends/Mannequin Agency.

Read more at Wikipedia

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