As I sat here thinking about my list of Top 5 females I would love to shoot, a sad reminder comes over me that the person that I desired to shoot the most is no longer with us. The exquisite China Machado was at the very top of my list. It’s hard to put into words how I feel about the loss of this iconic woman who broke through racial barriers to become the first non-Caucasian Supermodel. Ms. Machado was the Muse of legendary fashion Photographer Richard Avedon. China (pronounced CHEE-na) was born December 25th, 1929 in Shanghai, China to a Portuguese father and a Chinese mother (which would explain her stunning looks). At age 19, Noelie de Souza Machado would take the modeling world by storm unwittingly challenging the all white standard of beauty and opening the doors for models like Naomi Sims, Beverly Johnson, Jourdan Dunn and Iman. Yes, it all started with China Machado and we are eternally grateful.
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China Machado photographed by Brigitte Lacombe circa 2011
China Machado, dinner dress and jacket by Ben Zuckerman, New York, Nov. 6, 1958. Photographed by Richard Alvedon
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http://www.emfotografik.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/China-Machdo-by-Avedon.jpg
China Machado, dinner dress and jacket by Ben Zuckerman, New York, Nov. 6, 1958. Photographed by Richard Alvedon
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China Machado photographed by Daniel Jackson in New York at Pier 59 on Aug. 6, 2013 for Cole Haan
The Shanghai-born, South America-raised beauty shot to fame in the Fifties, and in 1959 became the first non-Caucasian model to appear in a mainstream American publication. She was a house model for Givenchy and muse to Richard Avedon and continued to make waves all the way up until her untimely death at age 86.
As a photographer, it is always my goal and dream to shoot iconic people.
People who are RAW and true to themselves.
People make us reflect on our own lives.
People who have shaped and/or changed the world in dramatic ways.
One such icon is the infamous China Machado.
Miss Machado became the very first non-caucasian Super Model to grace the covers of top fashion magazines.
Rest In Peace Charlie Murphy, older brother of famed comic pioneer Eddie Murphy.
Your “Hollywood Stories” gave us the greatest laughs and your deep voice and strong screen persona with live with us forever.
Charlie was a just 57 (not much older than I am now), when he lost his life to leukemia on April 12th, 2017. It just goes to show that we never know when our mortality will come, so live your life to the fullest and if possible, with no regrets.