Out of the Archives: Suzy Parker

Fashion across histories never stops serving.

Suzy Parker, American model, television actress and star, had a quick rise to fame, reaching the apex of her career in 1950. Appearing in numerous television shows, advertisements, and print shoots, Parker’s career jumped into the spotlight nearly overnight.

Attempting to reach her claim to fame during a difficult time, Parker still managed to soar. She became the first female model to earn $100,000 per year ($997,000 today), which according to today’s standards is no small feat.

Her image and notoriety soon classified Parker as a sensational figure in media, which was highly reflected in the popular culture of the time. Appearing in the Chamber of Horrors, the Best of Everything, Flight from Ashiya, and Funny Face, Parker developed an impressive discography. Yet, Parker’s main claim to fame remained in the numerous print advertisements which she headed.

Most notably, Parker was one of the main fashion models to shoot in Barbados, and spend time on the island. In the April 1, 1963 issue of British Vogue, Parker was featured on the cover, sporting a quintessentially tropical crown of flowers, looking astonished at the camera.

Source: Vogue, Mod-Sixties Foundation

Photographed by the notorious Henry Clarke, Suzy Parker was able to capture some of the warm elegance of the islands, while bringing in the stunning, classic looks of Vogue. The survival and prominence of these images as inspiration for fashion and modeling reflected a large portion of the value that they played in her career and popular culture at the time. The awareness for her location in Barbados was highly glamorized by the shoot.

Source: Vogue, Mod-Sixties Foundation

Later, Henry Clarke would photography Suzy Parker with her daughter at Sam Lord’s Castle, Barbados, a Georgian mansion constructed in 1820 by the renowned buccaneer Samuel Hall Lord, known as ‘Sam Lord’. The castle acquired much of its wealth from wrecked ships, which crashed upon the reefs off the coast of Bridgetown. Before being consumed by a fire in 2010, Sam Lord’s Castle was an exclusive hotel and residence for many of the period’s wealthiest celebrities. The island became a special part of Parker’s personal family life, as she began exposing her children to the island and region where she did much work during her career.

Parker and her daughter on the beaches of Sam Lord's Castle, Image: Conde Naste

Today, we are on the search for a new Suzy Parker, who may represent the incredible style classicism and range as Parker did during her day. One celebrity whom I feel stands out as a contender is Zendaya, whose fashion sense appears to replicate a similar opulence and timelessness. Who would your pick be?