Trailblazing model Gail O’Neill has died aged 61 after an illustrious career that spanned both fashion and television journalism.
Her longtime agent Stephanie Grill shared the news with WWD, adding that she did not immediately know the cause of death.
Born and raised in comfortable Westchester County, New York, Gail entered the corporate world after college with a marketing job at Xerox.
However, she was discovered there on the plane by the couple Chuck and Martha Baker, a photographer and stylist.
She launched a high-profile career as a model, fronting brands from Diet Coke to Avon and magazines like Essence and Mademoiselle – and posing in the famous 2008 “Black Issue” of Vogue Italia under legendary editor Franca Sozzani.
Pioneer model: Gail O’Neill has died aged 61 after an illustrious career that spanned both fashion and television journalism; pictured in 2006
Dear farewell: Her longtime agent Stephanie Grill shared the news with WWD, adding that she did not immediately know the cause of death; pictured model for DKNY in 1992
As a child, Gail never dreamed of becoming a model and actually viewed her “tall, thin figure” as “some kind of cosmic joke…with me being the punchline.”
She told the American Museum of Natural History, “Beauty, or the lack thereof, was not something I ever thought about as a young child.”
Gail mused: “In fact, I think children are much better at perceiving true beauty because they haven’t been corrupted by outside forces.” The older we get and the more we conform to mass media’s definition of beauty, the more likely it is is that we find fault in ourselves and others.”
However, her life changed when she boarded a work flight for Xerox and was discovered by Chuck and Martha Baker.
Her information was passed on to Frances Grill, Stephanie Grill’s mother, who became Gail’s agent for years until her death.
Frances Grill was the founder and capo of Click Model, which served as the launching pad for Gail’s life as a top model in the 1980s.
The crème de la crème of fashion magazines, from Glamor and Elle to various Vogues in different countries, featured images of Gail on the cover.
During her heyday in the industry, she posed for some of the most famous names in fashion photography, including Patrick Demarchelier, Annie Liebovitz, Steven Meisel and even Ansel Elgort’s father Arthur.
Leggings: She also modeled for world-famous American designers, including Perry Ellis, for whom she is pictured on the runway in 1987
Hello, beautiful: Gail is seen walking for Calvin Klein in 1988
She has also modeled for world-famous American designers including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors.
Gai, along with Naomi Campbell, was an early member of the Black Girls Coalition, an advocacy group for Black models founded by Iman and Bethann Hardison.
“She did it all, at a time when it was hard to get black girls into anything,” Stephanie Grill said. “Customers would bother me with calls.” [laughs], hoping for a rejection. I would tell them, “No, you have to get someone else.”‘
Stephanie added: “People just loved her. “They would rebook and rebook her. She was a great beauty with this beautiful personality – so authentic and kind. And she really had so much integrity. If she could, she would have worked five or six jobs a day. She had so many options. “Everyone wanted to work with Gail O’Neill.”
However, her agent noted that being a model is “just a job” for her and that she usually prefers to talk about other topics when in conversation.
“You don’t meet many Gail O’Neills,” Stephanie said fondly. “She always comes over to say hello and do something for other people.”
She achieved a particular career coup in 1994 when she modeled an American flag bikini while romping in the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
However, half a decade later, she decided to leave the fashion industry and move into the world of broadcast journalism.
After a stint on the new Early Show on CBS, she worked for nationally known news organizations such as CNN and HGTV.
Sensation: Gail is pictured modeling the Michael Kors Spring 1991 sports collection
At the beginning of the new millennium she moved to Atlanta, where she lived the rest of her life, working as editor-in-chief at ArtsATL.
“This is a huge loss,” Arts ATL Editor-in-Chief Scott Freeman told BET. “Gail was a great journalist who cared about her craft and the people she wrote about.”
He added: “In addition to her excellent journalism, she was a strong ambassador for us. “She was also a dear friend.”
Scott fondly recalled, “At times it felt like she was holding the city of Atlanta in the palm of her hand; Whenever we went to an event together, everyone seemed to know her and wanted to be around her. Gail was special: humble, vibrant, caring. Just one of the most incredible people I’ve ever known.”