Born This Way: Friends, Colleagues, and Coworkers Recall Gia Carangi, the Supermodel Who Defined an Era Paperback – October 31, 2015

I remember first coming across Gia Carangi many, many years ago in what, if I can recall correctly, was an issue of Vogue. Ever since that day, I’ve always been a huge fan and never lost interest in her. I knew I had to give this a book a read as soon as I came across it, and now that I’ve just finished, I can definitely say I’m more than impressed and glad I had the opportunity to give it a read. “Born This Way” does a very admirable job of covering just about every aspect of Gia’s life, including both the good and the bad. Although I found some of the parts quite sad to read, I was glad that the author made sure to include them because it gives a very straightforward and honest look into her life as a result. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Wonderful book about Gia . Memories from those who knew andworked with her. As another reviewer said, disappointed therewere no pictures of beautiful Gia in this book.

Just when I thought there were no more hidden corners to peek into and read about this special, beautiful, tragic woman's life, this book was written. It is unlike any other. There are accounts on the internet and in books that have been seen many time, but Sacha Lanvin Bauman captures the Gia we have never seen in our minds eye. This book gives accounts of what others saw in real life instead of "reel life". Gia was full of passion and grace., however she lived in a world that tried to control those things and shape them into something cold and mechanical. Gia made her time in the modeling world special and her character shined in everything she did, making a lasting impression on those she met. She still leaves her footprint today. This book is a must read for people who love Gia and want to absorb everything about her life. It celebrates her life, not her death.

Gia was an extraordinarily stunning woman who rocketed into the seemingly glamorous modeling world in the late 70s/early 80s. She was an anomaly as a brunette. She rose to its high levels at supersonicspeed, beginning after at 18 after being discovered in Philadelphia. Her favorite modeling jobs were for Vogue although her first cover was for a now-defunct Italian fashion magazine.This uneven, repetitive biography presents almost conflicting accounts of her personality, background and private life as told through the memories of acquaintances, those who worked with her a few times and then at last in the final chapters told by the rare voices of a very few true friends who remained close to her until the end of her short and tragic life.Gia was by all accounts a rarity in many ways. She wasn’t ultimately motivated by the allure of commercial success, afflicted with the superficial qualities of the divas immediately recognize-able now by the use of only their first names nor was she blinded by the vast sums of money modeling provided. At almost the start and through “the eyes of the camera” as shot by several world famous photographers and their assistants. She was considered a “natural” and easy to work with.She was fiercely independent, genetically gifted by a striking beauty all her own yet lived her adult life for the most part on her own terms: most of her creativity inherent in her, giving the photographers great photos was often due to following her instincts and ignoring the photographers’ instructions. Gia “handled” her all-too-fast rise in modeling to its apex without much professional guidance in her financial affairs and little parental supervision, leaving holes in her personal growth and creating stagnation in her emotional maturity.Gia’s rise to fame and fortune swept her into the fast lane during a landmark era in New York’s nightlife where she experienced the rise and fall of Studio 54. There she mingled with celebrities and rock stars, partying and using free and readily available cocaine all night. Her lifestyle was not yet effecting her burgeoning career.With the closing of Studio 54, the music scene shifted downtown, Gia morphing with it as New Wave heralded a new era in music. She was a habitué of the newly-opened Mudd Club where her modeling “off-duty” uniform of tight jeans, white t-shirts, leather or denim jackets worn with high top Converse or cowboy boots complimenting her androgynous yet feminine dark looks was more reflective of her bisexual identity.The atmosphere of nightlife in the downtown clubs probably introduced Gia to heroin. While coke use was as rampant in fashion as other industries and its use mostly tolerated; heroin was rightly regarded with grave suspicion.Gia successfully hid her habit for years until inevitably spiraling out of control. Many of the book’s contributors wistfully admit wishing they would have intervened with Gia’s increasingly obvious heroin abuse; it seems no one actually knew how bad it was. Makeup artists began covering up needle marks in her hands after observing her poor attempts to cover up the marks. Later photographers were forced into shooting her (no pun intended) in long sleeves only. Her abuse was enabled in many ways.Meanwhile AIDS was decimating New York’s gay male population in shocking numbers. They were often abandoned by their shame-filled families to the care of their lovers and/or inadequate medical facilities. Another population adversely affected were those who shared needles used by heroin addicts and IV drug users. Gia who shared needles with her lesbian lover became infected by AIDS and kept it a closely-guarded secret even to her closest friends almost to the end.As her heroin use progressed, Gia finally sought professional inpatient treatment after trying numerous times to quit on her own and inevitably failing. Numerous anonymous contributors to the book failed to notice the effects of her heroin use although they had ample suspicions. These same people were filled with shame because they felt they should have done “something,” Others proclaimed correctly the only person who could stop herself was Gia.I found the book disturbing and sad. Many times within the first 1/2 I almost gave up due to the conflicting portrayals of Gia and her “loner” personality for which there were inadequate explanations. She was given remarkable leeway in her professional behavior (enabled) because she was so highly sought after. Then in end when calling those who were her “friends” from modeling while in treatment when she was reaching out, no one would return her calls.In closing, this is a story about the realities of the modeling business: a young girl’s amazing success not parlayed into another career after she retired, unprepared for huge early success, given no financial planning advice who because of her intelligence could have transitioned into another chapter of a career in another related field like cinematography or photography but was instead crippled by the ravages of her addiction. This book is a cautionary tale of the deadly combination of readily available riches which enabled the model to easily fund her addiction and whom by many accounts of professionals who assessed her as having the rare characteristics of the 1 or 2% of models who could have gone on to become a “Marilyn Monroe” due to her unusual combination of amazing looks and a perfect body (especially her breasts which were non-enhanced as they would be in that era) but instead lost her life to addiction treated too late in its progression and then with it the results of that addiction: AIDS which finally claimed her all-too-brief young life while she was yet under 30. I don’t think I possess the heart to read this book again.

Good reading. Good price.

I haven't read it yet.

I loved learning more about Gia from this book. If you’re a fan you will want to buy this book!

Can't believe there were no pictures. That said all people do is say how wonderful she was then will admit she'd waste people's time, hours and hours that people would work on her hair and makeup and then would wash it off and they would have to work another 4 hours to redo. She didn't come off likeable at all. They mAde it sound like those people were the problem. Yeah, young gorgeous and didn't care about anyone else. That's all I read. Tried hard to like her but some of us work hard and have to sacrifice too much to feel much compassion. Seemed like the stories were repeated in the book also. I don't know if the e-book got translated wonky or if the writer repeated.