The Genius of Gia Genevieve

Gia Genevieve is THE modern pin-up girl. While she is much more than that, she revels in this moniker. The Los Angeles native has been transfixed by classic Hollywood glamour for as long as she can remember. It’s in her DNA. Instead of rebuking her feminine whiles, she revels in them. Anointed by the iconic Dita Von Teese, Genevieve has taken her own Tinsletown-meets-Rockabilly culture to recognition by fashion, music, and fans everywhere. Creating a modern day brand recognition takes a lot more than beauty. Gia has carefully directed a style and course which she conceived of and implemented. It’s proof that there are many paths in today’s world for a woman who is in control. From her massively anticipated calendar to being the face of clothing lines to features in classic car magazines and the legendary Playboy (USA) magazine, Gia Genevieve is classic looks with a current business mind.

Photographer: Shannon Brooke 

Like many vocations, modeling has seen a segmentation in regards to career paths and accomplishments. While you’ll find her on Instagram, you’ll also see her paying respect to those who came before her on the covers of publications like Galore Magazine and Playboy (where she was also featured in a pictorial). Signed by Wilhelmina NY in 2013, her career vacillates between glamour modeling, fashion, and burlesque. She’s gained admirers for her tributes to legends like Marilyn Monroe and others as well as for her rebuke of labels imposed by others. This independent attitude has led to admirers like Questlove of The Roots and The Raconteurs. The Grammy winning rock band was so taken with Genevieve that they made her the love interest of their latest video “Now That You’re Gone.” Gia’s demeanor is every bit as intense as Jack White’s guitar solo in the music video.

2018 saw Genevieve reestablishing her affinity for Hollywood glamour in her own pin-up calendar. Photographed by longtime collaborator photographer Shannon Brooke with Styling & Hairstyling by Danielle June, the photos perfectly capture a moment in time. To perfect the look, Belgian make-up artist Fraukje Van De Wiele (aka Frances Folies) was flown in. Known for her work with the massive Tomorrowland music festival and Radar Events’ Retronettes, Frances came highly recommended to manifest this retro high end look for the calendar. Gia’s looks for the shoot ranged from 1960’s Dolly Parton to Burlesque Starlet. Folies describes, “The way I did make-up for Gia or any other pin-up styled client is no way near the style techniques of how Instagrammers’ do make-up nowadays. There are a lot of make-up artists who know to do red lips and eyeliner but the difficulty is in find a right balance between glamifying the natural beauty of a face and still ending up with a true vintage glamour effect. Gia particularly likes the fact that I understand the Modern Pin-up look. She had full confidence in me finding the right balance of respecting that pin-up look while creating customized glamour looks that matched the outfits and themes for this shoot.” Genevieve confirms, “Frances’ expertise in her craft is hard to find and it truly shows in the images we created together. I would hire her again and again.” Something which Gia proved true when she immediately hired Frances to do the makeup for her shoot presenting Glamour Bunny’s 2019 summer collection. This fashion clothing line from UK based designer Gerry Roxby caters to glamorous women with curves.

Photographer: Tory Smith

Sometimes nothing is more refreshing than the return to a look and sensibility of a previous time. Gia Genevieve is simply displaying her love for a style that comes naturally to her. Surrounding herself with a team of artists who help her channel that aesthetic while still being relevant in the late 2010’s, just as it was in the previous century, Gia has proven that she is as rebellious and independent as these same female trailblazers she loves.

Photographer: Shannon Brooke 

Author: Kelly King