Lillian Marcuson Rekas was one of the prominent supermodels of the late 1940s and 1950s. She graced the covers of many major magazines, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Charm, Look, and three issues of Life magazine. She had blue eyes, brown hair and stood five feet 7 inches tall. She was said to look like Grace Kelly, who went from movie stardom to royalty in Monaco. Rekas was the favorite subject of the most well-known photographers, including Penn, Horst, Scavullo, and Avedon. She also appeared in the movies ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘The Cotton Club’ and soap operas ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘As the World Turns.’
Born in Hartford, Rekas’s mother was a Swedish immigrant, Lillian was the daughter of a Swedish immigrant. Her father owned Viking Bakery in West Hartford. She got her first modeling job at the age of 18. Vogue magazine featured her on its cover in 1949. Immediately, Rekas was sought after by fashion magazines and designers and by advertisers such as Revlon, Coty, Pepsodent, Brooks Brothers, and Knickerbocker. Life Magazine featured her three times as well as Vogue, Charm, Bride, and Cosmopolitan.
After her marriage, Rekas took a long break from her modeling career and returned after 25 years. She was 52 years old, too old for many modeling agencies. In the meantime, Ford had decided to enter the “older” world of modeling, and Rekas’ agent was Sicular, a vice president for Ford. After returning to work, her first assignment was with Viking Cruise lines, where her husband was employed. In addition to being on the cover of Newsweek and appearing on television, she also got a few fashion assignments. However, high fashion still wasn’t keen on working with older women. After a period of declining health, Rekas passed away on May 24, 2019.
Below are some glamorous photos of Lillian Marcusson Rekas from the 1950s.
#1 Lillian Marcuson in beautifully cut and shaped dress and jacket of silk brocade taffeta by Adele Simpson, Vogue, July 1950
#2 Lillian Marcuson in black rayon sheath with an overskirt of black rayon taffeta by Hannah Troy, stark white panne velvet hat by Lilly Daché, Vogue, November 1, 1950
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Hi, I am Lillians daughter, I was looking for a picture of my Mom to post on Facebook, since today would have been her 94th Birthday. I am so glad I discovered this website with background on each photograph
#3 Lillian Marcuson in dress and jacket to give a suit-and-blouse effect, dress-skirt and jacket in rust tweed, felt jockey cap by Madcaps, Vogue, August 1, 1950
#4 Lillian Marcuson in full-length cape, 1950
#5 Lillian Marcuson in gold metallic evening gown with back panels sweeping to the ground by Adrian, Vogue, November 1, 1950
#6 Lillian Marcuson in strapless dress of champagne-colored organdy, embroiderd all over in tones of beige with a sheer organdy jacket by Sheila Lynn, Vogue, June 1950
#7 Lillian Marcuson in strapless tulle cocktail dress with matching jacket by Ben Reig, Vogue, May 15, 1950
#8 Lillian Marcuson in two tones of Celanese rayon satin and satin corduroy, dress by Toni Owen, Harper’s Bazaar, October 1950
#9 Lillian Marcuson wearing a winged cap of white paper straw with band of rust grosgrain after Dior by Vernier, Harper’s Bazaar, April 1950
#10 Lillian Marcuson,January 1950.
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Wonderful to see my Mom and the details of each photo. Thankyou. Wish I had written done many of her adventures
