Gia Carangi was one of the world's first supermodels who shot to fame in the late 1970s.
Known for her olive skin and thick brunette hair - thanks to her Italian ancestry - Philadelphia native Carangi was one of the more exotic faces around.
When the tomboy posed for sexy Cosmopolitan covers, she developed an intense fan base for her androgynous allure.
For five years the 5ft8in star worked for top designers such as Versace and Christian Dior and landed numerous Vogue covers, all the while partying at nightclubs like the hedonistic Studio 54.
But a devastating heroin habit derailed her successful career causing her to quit in 1983. , who had a similar look, happily filled Carangi's shoes earning her the nickname 'Baby Gia.'
Carangi then died in 1986 at the age of just 26 from AIDS-related complications.
Gia Carangi was one of the world's first supermodels who came to fame in the late 1970s. In November, it will be the 40th anniversary of her shock death at age 26
She was on several covers of Cosmopolitan magazine as a teenager
When Angelina Jolie played the star in a 1998 HBO movie, Carangi's famed increased tenfold with many questioning what led to the beauty's shocking downward spiral.
In November, it will be the 40th anniversary of her sad death.
Carangi was born in 1960 in Philadelphia.
Her parents fought so often her mother regularly fled the house, which caused young Gia trauma. When Carangi was sexually abused at the age of five, she was further damaged.
She was an open bisexual with a tomboy persona who liked to hit Philadelphia's gay clubs and bars when she attended Abraham Lincoln High School.
The student also idolized David Bowie when he was in his androgynous Ziggy Stardust phase.
The photogenic teenager who resembled Julia Roberts started modeling for Philadelphia newspaper ads.
When told she had the looks for a supermodel career, she moved alone to New York City to look for a top agent.
She signed with the powerhouse agency Wilhelmina Models when she was only 17-years-old and was hired nonstop making her instantly famous.
Here she was seen in one of her first photo shoots in July 1978 while in a fur coat
She promoted a sexy image in the late 1970s when she was at the top of her game
Carangi said of quick fame: 'I started working with very good people, I mean all the time, very fast. I didn't build into a model, I just sort of became one.'
She often worked with top photographer Francesco Scavullo.
Her magazine covers were for Vogue and Cosmopolitan while she was hired by couture design houses such as Armani, Christian Dior, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent.
Carangi at the Julio Fall 1979 Ready to Wear Fashion Show in April 1979
