Fashion

Farewell Cleo: Aussie ‘it girls’ who once graced the cover

Cleo magazine recreates first ever cover with Jesinta Campbell as the magazine comes to a close.

Cleo magazine recreates first ever cover with Jescinta Campbell as the magazine comes to a close.

After 44 years in print Campbell – who donned a long white dress to resemble that worn by model Louise Francett from the first ever edition in 1972 – will be the last Cleo covergirl marking the end of an era.

“I actually had tears in my eyes,” Campbell told Today Show host and former Cleo editor Lisa Wilkinson of being given the honour, “because it was the very first fashion magazine that I got to be on the cover of.

“I remember reading articles and feeling empowered myself, so I can’t imagine what those articles did for women 44 years ago, so Cleo is one of the reasons both of us are here today as strong women on television, talking, doing our thing and being independent and kicking goals.”

Natalie Babic, a journalist who got her start in media at Cleo and now works for The Weekly and says Cleo’s final cover is everything she hoped it would be.

“It brings up such great memories looking at this final issue,” Nat tells the Weekly. “Cleo really was at the front of empowering and educating women in Australia for decades. At the time it came about in the 70s it was a truly revolutionary idea to have a mass publication that had women at the helm inspiring ideas about feminism and equal pay and other issues relating to women’s rights. It’s sad to see it go but we do need to remember how great it was for many years while it existed.”

Cleo’s final editor Lucy Cousins said of the final cover: “It’s an ode to the 44 years. We didn’t want to go out with a cover that didn’t really say anything, we wanted to pay tribute to that first one.”

This is supermodel Elle MacPherson on the cover of Cleo magazine in 1984.

Elle was a cover girl many times during her modelling heyday.

Jess Hart and Ashley Hart’s September 2015 cover.

Jennifer Hawkins’ Cleo magazine July 2011.

Jacinta Campbell’s first Cleo cover in January 2015.

Miranda Kerr graces the cover of Cleo in November 2011.

While he’s not an ‘it girl’ Cleo’s first nude centrefold Jack Thompson on the cover of the magazine in 1975 certainly made waves for the magazine.

Jessica Gomes October 2014 issue.

Toneya Bird featured on the CLEO Australia cover from June 1991.

Shanina Shaik’s February 2014 cover.

Ruby Rose was Cleo’s February 2012 cover girl.

Before she was Lara Worthington model Lara Bingle was on the cover in May 2014.

Delta Goodrem’s June 2012 cover.

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