Model. A gorgeous redhead, she is remembered as a high fashon icon of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Born Simone Michelene Bodin, she was raised on the northwestern French coast, had early ambitions of becoming a designer, spent the Occupation years in Angiers, and following the 1944 Liberation took her drawings and relocated to Paris. Hired as a model by Jacques Costet, she soon moved on to Jacques Fath (deceased 1954) who renamed her Bettina because he already had another girl named Simone. For the next decade she was a ubiquitous presence on the Parisian runways while gracing the pages and covers of literally countless high fashion periodicals, her image captured by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Robert Capa, and other leading lights of the day. Though associated with Fath until his death, she also worked with Valentino, Chanel, and, starting in 1952, with Fath's protege Hubert de Givenchy, who named his familiar 'Bettina blouse' after her. Bettina left modelling in 1954 but remained part of the fashion industry for the rest of her days. Her private life had its share of pain; taking her name from a brief early marriage to photographer Gilbert Graziani, she was for a time involved with screenwriter Peter Vietrel, though in the late 1950s she dumped him for Prince Aly Kahn whose baby she miscarried after the 1960 car wreck which killed the Prince. For many years a publicist for Azzendine Alaia and Emanuel Ungaro, she published a 1964 autobiography, was designated Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2010, in 2014 was the subject of a major exhibit at the Azzendine Alaia Gallery, lived out her days in Paris, and died of the infirmities of age.
Model. A gorgeous redhead, she is remembered as a high fashon icon of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Born Simone Michelene Bodin, she was raised on the northwestern French coast, had early ambitions of becoming a designer, spent the Occupation years in Angiers, and following the 1944 Liberation took her drawings and relocated to Paris. Hired as a model by Jacques Costet, she soon moved on to Jacques Fath (deceased 1954) who renamed her Bettina because he already had another girl named Simone. For the next decade she was a ubiquitous presence on the Parisian runways while gracing the pages and covers of literally countless high fashion periodicals, her image captured by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Robert Capa, and other leading lights of the day. Though associated with Fath until his death, she also worked with Valentino, Chanel, and, starting in 1952, with Fath's protege Hubert de Givenchy, who named his familiar 'Bettina blouse' after her. Bettina left modelling in 1954 but remained part of the fashion industry for the rest of her days. Her private life had its share of pain; taking her name from a brief early marriage to photographer Gilbert Graziani, she was for a time involved with screenwriter Peter Vietrel, though in the late 1950s she dumped him for Prince Aly Kahn whose baby she miscarried after the 1960 car wreck which killed the Prince. For many years a publicist for Azzendine Alaia and Emanuel Ungaro, she published a 1964 autobiography, was designated Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2010, in 2014 was the subject of a major exhibit at the Azzendine Alaia Gallery, lived out her days in Paris, and died of the infirmities of age.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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