BEAUTY IDEAL OF THE 60S: FORMER TAFT MODEL GINA ERCOLANI

Gina Ercolani. Former Taft model and embodiment of glamorous, upswept hairstyles. For 5 years she modeled for Schwarzkopf. She has lived and worked in Paris, Zurich and New York. For the past 27 years, she has run a women’s fashion boutique in downtown Hamburg. Womensnet takes the eventful history of the cult brand, “Drei Wetter,” as the occasion to speak with Ms. Ercolani about beehives, zeitgeist and glamour.

So how did you become a Taft model?

On the street! At the time two Brigitte editors approached me on the street and asked me if I would like to do some test pictures for the magazine. So from that I ended up working exclusively for Brigitte for a whole year. After this engagement, I wanted to continue working in my trained profession as a makeup artist and stylist. But instead something completely different happened: I got a call from Schwarzkopf. First I was invited to come for a “visit.” At that time there weren’t castings like are so common today. At the beginning of the sixties one didn’t even have a portfolio—only a few pictures. From then on, I worked for Schwarzkopf as a model for hair and cosmetics for exactly five years.

The hairstyles which you wore in ads and posters were proper works of art! Was that really the look for every day?

No, definitely not. Women would definitely tease their hair up back then, but rarely like how it was pictured in the advertisements. The photos were like an exaggerated version of the current trends. Only with a large amount of effort was it possible to create such hairstyles on one’s own.

What role did advertising play back then? Was it something special—or like today—a basic part of everyday life?

Back then advertising truly had a special image. A beautiful poster on the street fascinated people and caused them to stop. But there was also naturally much less advertising back then. Cosmetics were often a topic for ads or posters- and the motifs had a corresponding aesthetic effect. It was just not as saturated as it is today. In the sixties, one still compared advertising images with art. An advertised product would really be “celebrated.” The commerce that was driving it was not as apparent back then.

Were you a style icon? Or did you embody the look for the average woman?

I would indeed say that I took on the role as a style ideal. Through the aesthetic expression of advertising, one demonstrated a certain style for women of this period. Trends were consciously set, and as a model I was also a source of inspiration: the role that I played was supposed to encourage women to envision themselves as models.

Back then, Taft hairspray was a relatively expensive styling product (ca. 4.80 Deutsche Mark). Did Taft represent a particular image?

Back then, Taft was already definitely something special—something nice and out of the ordinary. It was a very luxurious product, and just because of these beautiful advertising images it already had a positive image. But the most important thing was that it served its purpose, which it did and still does today. I still would never think of using another hairspray. I am completely satisfied with “Drei Wetter Taft”, because has met all of my requirements: it holds my hairstyle in place, protects my hair and combs out easily.

To be a model for styling products was then and still is a glamorous job. What changed for you in the time that you worked as a model?

Of course some things have changed! Through modeling I gained access to an “inner circle.” In part these circles were very elitist: people met at dinner parties or cocktail receptions. There were always the same people—photographers, models, directors and rich investors. I lived and worked in Paris, Zurich, and New York. Most of the time I modeled for cosmetics and fashion. It was a challenging time, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. If I could do it all over again, I would do it exactly the same way!

Thank you very much for talking with us, Ms. Ercolani.