Dorian Leigh: One of the Earliest Modeling Icons of the Fashion Industry

Born 1917 in San Antonio, Texas, dark-haired, blue-eyed, 5ft 5in tall, with an hourglass figure and exquisite features, Dorian Leigh appeared on no fewer than six covers of Vogue in 1946, and, over the next six years, graced the covers of 50 more glossy magazines.

Dorian Leigh in the 1940s

Leigh played muse to a clutch of photographers – Avedon, Beaton, Blumenfeld, Horst and Penn among them – and in the 1950s became the signature model for Revlon’s Fire and Ice lipstick and nail polish campaign in a series of images, photographed by Richard Avedon with the advertising slogan: “For you who love to flirt with fire; who dare to skate on thin ice”. Avedon later stated that she was the most versatile model, and the loveliest, that he had ever worked with.

Dorian Leigh’s career lasted from the 1940s to the 1960s. After retiring from modeling, she opened a modeling agency in Paris. In 1980, she published her autobiography, The Girl Who Had Everything. She also wrote two cookery books: Pancakes and Doughnuts.

Leigh died in a Falls Church, Virginia nursing home from Alzheimer's disease at the age of 91 in 2008. Take a look at these stunning photos to see fashion portraits of a young Dorian Leigh in the 1940s.

Dorian Leigh in charming nightgown of yellow voile and ruffles and white cotton lace by Brigance for Lord & Taylor, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper's Bazaar, November 1944

Dorian Leigh in a Dan River cotton plaid sundress, Vogue, June 1, 1945

Dorian Leigh is wearing a bonnet in mauve taffeta with wide streamers and roses at Bergdorf Goodman, Kodachrome by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper's Bazaar, February 1945

Dorian Leigh in a fern-printed Onondaga rayon dress, jewelry by Seaman Schepps, photo by Serge Balkin, Vogue, May 1, 1946

Dorian Leigh in abstract print evening dress in rayon crêpe, leather girdled by Omar Kiam for Ben Reig, gold jewelry by John Rubel, background by Marcel Vertès, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, April 1, 1946

Dorian Leigh in beautiful silvery silk taffeta gown by Czettel, made to order at Jay Thorpe, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, October 1, 1946

Dorian Leigh in red and gray dotted print dress by Larry Aldrich as she stands in front of mural by Vertes, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, April 1946

Dorian Leigh is wearing navy blue dress with organdy ruffle at the neck from Mark Mooring, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, April 1946

Dorian Leigh wearing an evening dress with tassel pattern by Traina-Norell stands against a mural by Marcel Vertès, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, 1946

Dorian Leigh wearing blue rayon satin bustled dress from Henri Bendel, photo by Horst P. Horst used for the cover British Vogue, November 1946

Dorian Leigh, "Ultra-Violet" lipstick, nail enamel and face powder by Revlon, diamonds by Harry Winston, photo fantasy by Cecil Beaton, Harper's Bazaar, October 1946

Dorian Leigh, photo by Constantin Joffé, Vogue, April 1, 1946

Dorian Leigh in a covered-up dress of rayon-taffeta decorated with slivers of jet by Ceil Chapman, green opaque stockings by Gotham and green satin shoes by Evins, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in black wool wide-skirted coat, with cape-oversleeves, flip-up collar and molded bodice by Claire McCardell, red velvet beret by John Frederics, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, September 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in black-and-white tweed houndstooth coat and black wool skirt both at Lord & Taylor silk scarf by Glentex, jewelry by Berns, photo by Cecil Beaton, Vogue, February 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in candy-box pink, fleecy wool coat as part of a dinner costume to wear with a feathered hat, all at Henri Bendel, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in Enka rayon crêpe dress with molded torso and stitched pleated skirt by Martini, hat by Jeanne Tête, photo by Jerry Plucer, Harper's Bazaar, October 1947

Dorian Leigh in ensemble by Adele Simpson, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, September 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in full-cut, all-wool suède coat, boldly buttoned and edged with braid, a Lassie Maid Original, Vogue, February 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in gleaming, pure silk shantung dress and jacket with jewel-shaped bands of rhinestones by Hattie Carnegie, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in lovely Enka rayon-crêpe dress with sparkling embroidered flowers across the top by Martini, Vogue, October 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in Ponemah Spoven ply fabric print dress and matching gloves by Pattullo, photo by Jerry Plucer, Vogue, April 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in slim flatterring dress with slashes of color in Enka rayon crêpe by Martini, Vogue, October 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in the new-length dress, 8 inches off the floor, in draped rayon-crêpe by Adele Simpson, pink topaz pin by John Rubel, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 15, 1947

Dorian Leigh in white linen suit with pink satin scarf held by diamond pin, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, 1947

Dorian Leigh photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh, "Contraband" lipstick by Tussy, Vogue, April 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh, Nolde Custom Fit Nylons, costume by Trigere, photo by Constantin Joffé, Vogue, March 15, 1947

Dorian Leigh in chambray dress woven with taffeta, pleats tucked and sewn to pleat by Adele Simpson, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, April 1, 1948

Dorian Leigh in creamy silk shantung dress woven on a Jacquard loom in a Chinese cash pattern by Adele Simpson, hat by John Frederics, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, May 1, 1948

Dorian Leigh in gown by Charles James, photo by Cecil Beaton, Harper's Bazaar, June 1948

Dorian Leigh in lovely dress of white Swiss organdy embroidered with medallions over the pink slip beneath from a Simplicity pattern, photo by Genevieve Naylor, Harper's Bazaar, May 1948

Dorian Leigh in red Forstmann cashmere-silk coat by Omar Kiam for Ben Reig, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, 1948

Dorian Leigh in red tie print dress with dark cummerbund in rayon foulard by Sheila Lynn for Carolyn Modes, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, April 15, 1948

Dorian Leigh in Spring evening gown in Gourdon's lovely vernal print woven with Enka rayon by Capri, jewelry by Koslow, photo by Weitzen at Brussels Restaurant, Vogue, April 1, 1948

8 Dorian Leigh in suit of Avisco rayon and Juilliard gabardine by B.H. Wragge, jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels, Vogue, April 1, 1948

Dorian Leigh is wearing a coppery rayon-satin chin-high low-backed evening dress by Ceil Chapman, photo by Horst P. Horst, 1948

Dorian Leigh sitting at table with China designed by Eva S. Zeisel, linen mats and napkins by Mosse, photo by Horst P. Horst, House and Garden, June 1, 1948

Dorian Leigh in Empire-style dress by Claire McCardell of Avisco rayon, Vogue, January 1949

Dorian Leigh in short Goyanesque evening dress of red and black velvet bands by Balenciaga, Kodachrome by Richard Avedon, Harper's Bazaar, December 1949