ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: WHO WAS THE FIRST FASHION MODEL?
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QUESTION: Who was the first fashion model and who could be called the first supermodel?
Although Janice Dickinson claimed to have coined the term supermodel in 1979, in fact it was in use long before this.
Modelling as a profession was established in 1853 by Charles Frederick Worth, 'the father of haute couture'. Worth was an English fashion designer who founded the House of Worth. He asked his wife, Marie Augustine Vernet, to model the clothes he designed. The term 'house model' was coined to describe this type of work.
The word supermodel was first used by the British artist Henry Stacy Marks in an 1891 interview for The Strand Magazine: 'A good many models are addicted to drink and, after sitting a while, will suddenly go to sleep. Then I have had what I call the 'super' model.'
However, he was referring to male models posing for artists.
On October 6, 1942, Judith Cass used the term 'super model' in an article in the Chicago Tribune headlined Super Models Are Signed For Fashion Show.
An article in the New York Daily News on December 31, 1945, gave a more modern definition of the supermodel. 'A brand new type of fashion model is predicted by Helen Fraser, director Barbizon Studio of Fashion Modeling: 'She will no longer be a manikin in one or two dimensions, but an actress and woman of the world... She will not be merely beautiful and attractive, but a living, speaking, acting, charming woman of fashion and international society; in other words, a super-model.'
It is debatable who the first supermodel was. Aficionados usually point to Lisa Fonssagrives (1911-1992). In the 1940s the Swedish model, dancer and artist appeared on the covers of major fashion magazines including Vogue, Time and Harper's Bazaar.
Katherine Hill, Tetbury, Glos
QUESTION: Why does our sense of taste change when we're unwell?
When we're unwell, our sense of taste can change due to several physiological factors. One major reason is inflammation and congestion, which can block the nasal passages. Since much of what we perceive as 'flavour' comes from our sense of smell, food may seem bland or different when we're sick.
Additionally, illness often triggers an immune response that releases cytokines, which can affect taste receptor cells and dull our ability to detect flavours. Medications such as antibiotics and decongestants can also alter taste by affecting saliva production or interacting with taste buds. A dry mouth, common with colds or fevers, further reduces taste sensitivity. In some cases, infections such as Covid or flu directly impact taste and smell receptors.
Dr Ian Smith, Cambridge
QUESTION: Which national anthems mention other nations in their lyrics?
The Polish national anthem, Poland Is Not Yet Lost, features lyrics written in 1797 by Polish nobleman Jozef Wybicki, and a melody derived from a mazurka, a lively Polish folk tune.
Also known as Dabrowski's Mazurka, it was written to raise the morale of Jan Henryk Dabrowski's Polish Legions that served with Napoleon Bonaparte in the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars. Hence the anthem mentions Italy:
'March, march, Dabrowski,
From Italy to Poland.
Under your command
We shall rejoin the nation.'
It also references the Swedish invasion of Poland (1701-1706) and its rescue by Stefan Czarniecki:
'Like Czarniecki to Poznan
After the Swedish annexation,
To save our homeland,
We shall return across the sea.'
Fratelli D'Italia, 'Brothers Of Italy', was written in 1847 by 20-year-old student Goffredo Mameli. Two months later the words were set to music by Michele Novaro. At that time, they were fighting a series of independence wars against the Austrian Empire. At the same time, the imperial army was allied with czarist Russia and they had recently invaded Poland.
'They are branches that bend
The sold swords;
Already the eagle of Austria
Has lost its feathers.
The blood of Italy
And the Polish blood
Drank with Cossacks
But its heart was burnt.'
Jonathan Cross, Derby
Read more 2025-03-07T00:24:26Z