Gia Marie Carangi[2] (January 29, 1960 – November 18, 1986) was an American supermodel, considered by some to be the first supermodel. [3][4] In 2023, Harpers Bazaar ranked her 15th among the greatest supermodels in the 1980s. [5]

Gia Marie Carangi moved to New York City at the age of 17 and instantly took the fashion industry by storm. She redefined the standard of beauty and became one of the biggest models in fashion history. After she became addicted to heroin, Gia's fashionable career rapidly declined.

Dec 2, 2019 · Gia died at age 26 of AIDS, likely due to her addiction to heroin, on Nov. 18, 1986. She was one of the first well-known cisgender women to be diagnosed with AIDS in...

Sep 24, 2022 · A revered fashion model plucked out of Philadelphia, Gia Carangi became addicted to heroin and died at 26 years old from AIDS in November 1986.

Jun 13, 2021 · When Gia Carangi's life is remembered at all, it is remembered as a tragedy. Though she is acknowledged as the world's first true supermodel, her short life and her tragic demise mean that her name isn't as widely known as you'd expect from someone who had achieved such a feat.

Jan 25, 2025 · Gia Carangi is celebrated as one of fashion’s first “supermodels.” Her rapid rise to fame and untimely death from AIDS at the age of 26 in 1982 have cemented her legendary status in the...

Jan 31, 2023 · It's been 25 years since Angelina Jolie starred as Gia Carangi in Gia. The 1998 HBO television film featured a then-22-year-old Jolie as the real-life Carangi, who was considered by many the...

Aug 18, 2018 · Her life was dramatized in the television film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie, which debuted on HBO in 1998. Take a look at these stunning photos to see the unique looks of Gia Carangi in the 1970s and 1980s.

Gia Carangi revolutionized the modeling industry by breaking the traditional mold of blonde, all-American models. She introduced a more edgy and androgynous look, paving the way for future models to embrace diversity and individuality.

Gia was an American model during the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was considered by many to be the first “Supermodel”. She left behind a huge portfolio of work for someone who worked for a relative short time in the fashion model business.