Lizzette was the second Mother figure for Gia when she was 18 years old in New York City.
Lizzette had been a model some time before becoming Fashion Director for Harper’s Bazaar Italia at age 26.
Lizzette knew, and had worked with, photographer Chris von Wangenheim as far back as her modeling days. She met and help launch Gia Carangi’s career in 1978 by booking her for back to back shoots for the magazine with Chris von Wangenheim. Both Lizzette and Chris became important to, loved by, and respected by, Gia.
My search for photos of Lizzette from her modeling days was more difficult that I thought it would be. However, when I found the GQ issue below, I was blown away.
This 1975 Summer issue of GQ magazine was shot by Chris von Wangenheim photographer, with assistant Michael Datoli, three models: Lizzette Kattan, Joe MacDonald and Kalani Durdan. Lizzette and Joe MacDonald on the cover. Two photos in this shoot have been incorrectly identified as Gia many times in fan groups. It’s ironic that the model turned out to be Lizzette.
Joe MacDonald is considered the first male supermodel by many.
Lizzette’s model comp cards from Ford 1974
Ford model Lizzette comp card 1974 
Ford model Lizzette comp card 1974
Lizzette suffered through that dark time in the 80s, watching people she cared about suffer and die of AIDS. Lizzette loved Gia. Gia, Joe MacDonald and Kalani Durdan all died of AIDS.
R.I.P. Joe MacDonald was born in 1945 and died April 1983 in NYC, at 38 years old. (3 years before Gia)
R.I.P. Kalani Durdan was born August 23, 1947 and died January 11, 1987 in Deschutes, Oregon, at 40 yrs old. (2 months after Gia)
Lizzette was an important contributor to “Thing of Beauty” by Stephen Fried. MANY photos were provided to the book by Lizzette. Candids, polaroids and Lizzette’s datebook from Gia’s 2 1/2 week European shoot for Harper’s Bazaar Italia.
Thing of Beauty:
End of May 1978, Twenty seven year old Lizzette Kattan, Fashion Director for Italian Harper’s Bazaar, booked Chris von Wangenheim to shoot for the July/August 1978 issue. Chris met Gia on a “go see” and booked her for the job. Chris chose the Citicorp Building as the shoot location. Lizzette, and Sandy Linter meet Gia for the first time.
After the Citicorp shoot, Lizzette books Gia, Chris von Wangenheim, Arthur Elgort and Patrick Demarchelier for a 2 ½ week shoot in Europe for the September issue of Bazaar Italia. Rome, Paris and Milan. for Alta Moda, Paris for the Haute Couture then to Milan for Lancetti shoot. This issue accelerated Gia’s career. Everyone wanted her from this point forward. Gia had just turned 18 and signed with Wilhelmina only six months prior to this.
Lizzette wanted Gia to have her private phone numbers in New York and Milan, as well as Pepponne’s home numbers in Milan and at his island retreat on Capri before she left Milan. Pepponne’s castle was on the island and is where the Bazaar crowd went for vacation and party. In traditional European style, they took off the entire month of August. Because Lizzette and Peponi had grown fond of Gia, they invited her to come back and join them on Capri for vacation in September, if her schedule allowed. The invitation included all her travel expenses. Gia flies home Friday, August 4, 1978.
Gia leaves for Capri September 1, 1978 to vacation with Lizzette and Pepponne. Gia was made to feel as one of the Bazaar family. Gia became more affectionate around Lizzette and began to refer to her as “Mommy”. Lizzette officially became Gia’s second surrogate mother after Wilhelmina. While in Capri, Gia meets Francesco di Siricinano, a friend of Pepponne’s. Francesco was a sixty-year-old man of Italian royalty, who became mesmerized by Gia. She promptly nicknamed him “The Prince”. By the end of the week, “The Prince” became more affectionate around Gia. She began to think he was serious when he said he wanted to marry her.
1979, April, Gia called Lizzette and asked her if she could stay with her for awhile. Gia was alone at that time, Suzanne and Gia had had their “last fight” some time ago, and Suzanne moved out. Lizzette was happy to let Gia stay over, even though it was unclear whether Gia was really between apartments or just wanted someone to take care of her for a few days. Lizzette: Gia liked my mother a lot. My mother wasn’t living with me in New York, but when I was there, I would like her to be with me. I took her everywhere. Gia stayed with us, it was very nice. The only problem was that Gia was always carrying on with the cigarettes. I don’t like anybody smoking around me.
Gia’s mother called to see if Gia was living at my house and why she was there. The mother asked me blankly if I was sexually or physically involved with Gia. I told her I had no interest in Gia except trying to be a mother for her. Another time when Gia had left her own apartment, the mother called me and wanted to know where she had gone. I called Gia and said, ‘Call your mother and tell her what is going on.’ They didn’t really have the best of relationships. Obviously, the mother was interested in how she was doing, what was going on: she seemed concerned, very normal motherly concern. Gia just couldn’t care less about telling her.”
While Gia stayed with her, Lizzette also got a glimpse at what passed for her support system in New York. “Gia had a lot of obscure friends,” she recalled. “She had a way of coming in and out of people’s lives, with such speed and so briefly: I think it was hard for her to have relationships for any length of time.
1983, Lizzette: Gia did work one last time with Italian Bazaar. Gia had disappeared for a while, then one evening the phone rings about midnight and she wants to come over. Gia came over and that was the first and only time I saw her out of it. Her arms were all marked, she was trying to cover herself. She didn’t want me to see her like that. I had a shoot to the the next day, and I asked if she wanted to work. She said yes and she slept over. I knew she was completely destroyed, but we didn’t talk about it. During the shooting, she was trembling so terribly that she couldn’t work. She said, ‘I can’t make it,’ and she left, she disappeared. That was the last time I saw her.”
I learned more about Lizzette because of this search. Lizzette is an interesting and successful person. To read more about her, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzette_Kattan or google her name.