The Life Of 1990s Supermodel Gail O’Neill In Photos

O’Neill’s career began in 1985, when photographer Chuck Baker and his stylist wife, Martha, approached her at New York’s JFK airport. At the time, she was working in marketing at Xerox; by March 1986 she was on the cover of British Vogue.

“By the time I was 11 or 12 years old, I was convinced that my tall, skinny frame was some kind of cosmic joke…with me the punchline,” she once said. That punchline was a lucrative one, however, as companies like Esprit, Coca-Cola, and Avon clamored to feature her in ads.