Renée
Toft
Simonsen - Biography - part1| 2 | 3
The Dane with the
cat´s
eyes
Renée
is born
at the 12. May 1965 as second of three sisters (Heidi and Iben) in
Arhus (Denmark). Her mum Ingrid is a nurse and family-therapist. Her
father Jens is conducting a ecological farm in the north of Denmark and
is also working as a therapist for addicted to alcohol and drugs. Once
the dream of Renée was to work as a doctor or a journalist.
Renée likes to read good books, painting pieces of
furniture, gardening and fishing. »»»
1981:
In the age of 15
Renée accompanied a friend who wants to
apply for the Ekstra Bladet magazine model competition "Face of the
Eighties". A fashion-editor pleases the photographer Leif Nygaard to
take also a
photo of Renée for the competition.
In March Renée is 2nd place winner of the danish
Ekstra-Bladet magazines "Face of the Eighties" contest. Eileen Ford is
deeply impressed of Renée, but Renée is still too
young to go with her to New York. Renée goes back
to
Arhus and
works in a vegetable store after school.
She is doing her first cover for the danish magazine FOTOKINO. »»»
1982:
In May, 17 years old, she wins
the danish Ekstra Bladet
magazine model competition and does not hesitate to take part
in the
"Face of the Eighties" contest at New York. Her mum does not
want to sign Renées model-contract. She is a bit anxious and
dissapointed
Renée will stop school, but finally she signs the contract
and
gives Renée permission to go to Eileen Ford to New York. But
she
feels like she has sold Renée as a slave.
14. August 1982 - The day that changes the life of
Renée completely. At a big television-show she wins over 21
finalists from all
around the world the "Supermodel of the World" title. In a hurry she
changes the designer-dress and high-heels into sneakers and
sweat-clothings and celebrates her victory at Jim McCullen restaurant
with a cola and a burger. She signs a contract with Ford Models of a
guaranteed minimum wage of 100.000 dollars in a year.
She has her first shooting for the U.S. VOGUE with co-model Talisa
Soto. The 20-pages layout "A REAL CHANGE OF PACE", photographed by
Andrea Blanch, appeares in the December issue. - "When I first came to
New York, Eileen Ford kept watch over my phone calls and made me eat
spinach!" This was a shock to Renée, who had been
living with her fiancé in Denmark since she was sixteen. »»»
1983:
Renée experiences a
express-career. She becomes a
international model and
features the covers of italian, U.K. and U.S. VOGUE and the french ELLE
magazine. But in February she got the "fashion-knight-stroke" by doing
the cover of the french Vogue, photographed by Albert Watson.
In April Renée has earned already 50.000 - 60.000 dollars
and
has seen the most beautiful places in the world like Hawaii, Tahiti,
Mustique, Bahamas, Florida. She invites her grandparents to Paris at
the 85. birthday of her grandfather and in the same summer
she is doing a trip through Europe with her elder sister Heidi
- with just a
rucksack and 5.000 danish crowns.
In December Renée replaces Jerry Hall and becomes smart
eye-catcher on the album cover of the band Roxy Music, photographed by
Eric Boman. »»»
1984:
Beside her many model jobs she finds the
time to nomitate the danish
Billed
Bladet "Face of the 80s" winner Claudia Craft. Renée can
give her already some good advices. »»»
1985:
Renée
surprises in June with a flight from New York to London to the premiere
of the James Bond movie "A view to a kill". It is not because
of
Roger Moore! The reason is John Taylor, the bass player of Duran Duran,
the band who did the title song of the movie. Her amorously expressions
says everything. They had just met 3 months ago at a party in New York.
In November Renée invest a lot of money in a own
model-agency,
"rts models" in Arhus, where her mum and her aunt got a job.
She is smoking 30 cigarettes at one day.
Renée is making first experiences as an actress in the
italian
movie "Sotto il vestito niente" ("Nothing underneath") directed by
Carlo Vanzinas. Renée plays a lesbian murder. - "If
I´m
bad, only the Italians will know!" »»»
1986:
In
May Renée launches as a movie-star at the Cannes
movie-festival
"Sotto il vestito niente" ("Nothing underneath"). The movie is no
success and it becomes only a rental-movie.
She is doing her 2. movie
directed by Carlo Vanzina "Via Montenapoleone", a comedy
also starring (ex-)models Carol Alt and Marisa Berenson.
She weaned her boyfriend John Taylor off hard drugs and tells about the
fight against cocaine. »»»
1987:
With
model colleagues Monika Schnarre and Christy Turlington
Renée
is invited in March to the first fashion-show in Moscow to promote a
russian issue of the german fashion-pattern magazine "burda". Surprised
about the big cold in Moscow Renée buys a fur-cap before
doing
sightseeing at the Red Square and St. Basil´s Orthodox
Church. »»»
Movie "Via Montenapoleone" is
released and with Carol Alt
she is co-presenter to Mike Bongiorno at the italian
"Telegatto"
show.
In
April Renée is flying
from Paris to New York to be present at her first Duran Duran concert
at Bercy palace and to celebrate her 3. anniversary with John Taylor.
Now there are also autograph hunters behind her - she became an idol to
the
young girls. - "Sometimes in the camera is another person created with
makeup."
5 years after her victory at the danish Ekstra Bladet magazine and
Eileen Ford model competition she nominates at the Ekstra Bladet model
competition the new supermodel of the world winner Anette Aaskov from
Abenra (denmark). »»»
1988:
Renée
went with her sister Heidi for four months in October to a Kibbutz in
Israel to pick oranges. Renée has enough of the luxury and
superficial life she leads. She is at a point where she does need
to find to herself. A serious illness caused by not getting the job to
do a Sports Illustrated cover let do her the decision. She was ill for
three months with a liver infection and this made her to take stock of
her life. She realizes she has pushed herself too
hard. She is
offered to play in the next James Bond movie, but she refuses.
»»»
1989:
Several
magazines in different
countries publish Renées
and Heidis
report about their life in the kibbutz. Renée stops her
model-career to do her high school diploma and starts to study
journalism. In Summer she fails the entrance examination to the
College of Journalism. Also she stops modeling to fulfill her biggest
wish: having a family. - "I felt I was losing myself. I left to get
back to some real substance and value." - Renée and John
finish her romantic relationship, because they both were going in
different directions. »»»
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