Cheryl Tiegs
September 25, 1947 — Breckenridge, Minnesota, United States
Cheryl Tiegs is an American model and fashion designer widely credited as America's first supermodel. Rising to fame in the 1970s, she became one of the most recognizable faces in fashion, appearing repeatedly on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Time magazine. Her image helped define an era of American glamour and set the template for the modeling superstardom that followed.
Early Life
Cheryl Rae Tiegs was born on September 25, 1947, in Breckenridge, Minnesota, and grew up largely in Alhambra, California, after her family relocated west during her childhood. She was raised in a middle-class household and showed early interest in fashion and beauty, though she initially pursued academics, studying at California State University, Los Angeles, before her modeling career took off. Tiegs began modeling almost by accident in the mid-1960s, when a photograph she submitted led to work in advertisements and catalog shoots. Her natural, sun-kissed California look distinguished her from the more formal, high-fashion models of the era, and it quickly attracted the attention of major magazines and advertisers. This distinctive appeal, blending wholesome approachability with striking beauty, would become her signature and a defining look of the 1970s American aesthetic. Within a few years, she transitioned from local print work to national campaigns, setting the stage for the breakthrough that would make her a household name by the middle of the decade.
Career and Achievements
Tiegs rose to international fame in the 1970s, becoming one of the highest-paid and most sought-after models in the world. She appeared multiple times on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, including a famous 1978 cover featuring her in a pink crocheted swimsuit that became one of the best-selling issues in the magazine's history and an enduring pop-culture image. Her prominence was so significant that Time magazine put her on its cover in 1978, dubbing her America's first supermodel and signaling that modeling had become a legitimate form of mainstream celebrity. Beyond editorial work, Tiegs built a lucrative career in commercial endorsements, representing brands such as Cover Girl cosmetics and appearing in numerous television commercials. She also ventured into fashion design, launching clothing lines including a successful eyewear and swimwear collection, and later created a knitwear line sold through Sears. Her business acumen extended her influence beyond the runway and photo studio, helping establish the model-turned-entrepreneur path that many later celebrities would follow.
Did You Know?
Cheryl Tiegs' 1978 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover, featuring her in a pink crocheted one-piece, became one of the magazine's best-selling and most iconic covers ever, cementing her status as a defining image of 1970s American beauty.
Later Life and Legacy
After her peak modeling years, Tiegs remained a visible public figure, appearing in film and television and continuing her design ventures into the 1980s and beyond. She has been married multiple times, including to photographer Stan Dragoti and actor Anthony Peck, and became a mother later in life. Tiegs has spoken publicly about aging gracefully and maintaining wellness, publishing books and lending her name to health and beauty projects. Her legacy endures as a pioneer who transformed modeling from a niche profession into a path to mainstream celebrity and business opportunity, paving the way for later supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Christie Brinkley. Fashion historians and pop-culture commentators continue to cite Tiegs as a symbol of 1970s American style, and her Sports Illustrated covers remain iconic touchstones referenced in retrospectives of the swimsuit issue's history. Decades after her rise to fame, she is still regarded as one of the defining faces of an era when models first became household names and cultural icons in their own right.
