Spotlight On: Raquel Welch

Raquel starred in a remake of One Million Years B.C. in 1966. Her only costume was a two-piece deer skin bikini. She was described as "wearing mankind's first bikini" and the fur bikini was described as a "definitive look of the 1960s". One author said, "although she had only three lines in the film, her luscious figure in a fur bikini made her a star and the dream girl of millions of young moviegoers". A publicity still of her in the bikini became a best-selling poster and turned her into an instant pin-up girl. The film raised her stature as a leading sex symbol of the era.  In 2011, Time listed Welch's B.C. bikini in the "Top Ten Bikinis in Pop Culture" and dubbed her as "America's number one sex symbol".

Today is the birthday of one of the most beautiful women ever, Raquel Welch.  She is 73 and still as gorgeous as ever. Her sultry beauty, talent and vibrant personality set her apart from those who came before her and she continues to leave an indelible legacy for those who follow.

At the age of 22, she arrived in Hollywood as a single mother with her two small children; only to find that the studio star-making system was long gone. Nonetheless, she carved out a place for herself in movie history, and broke the mold of the submissive blonde bombshell.  She starred in over 45 films and won a Golden Globe for best actress in The Three Musketeers.

The world has always seemed focused on her beauty but she strove to counteract that perception. In the 80’s she changed directions and made the leap from the movies to Broadway, debuting in the hit musical Woman of the Year. This shattered the myth that she was simply a celluloid invention.

An early devotee of yoga and a forerunner in the field of fitness, Raquel authored the best-selling classic yoga book RAQUEL: Total Beauty and Fitness in 1984. She introduced Yoga to a whole generation of women and ignited a new exercise trend.  

She created The Raquel Welch Wig Collection; the most successful enterprise of its kind in the world. She has also succeeded Catherine Deneuve, to become the most recent Icon Face of M.A.C Cosmetics – with a line of international signature cosmetics.

One of Raquel’s latest project is a new book, Raquel: Beyond The Cleavage. In it she speaks intimately about the trials and tribulations of aging in the public eye and offers an insightful guide to becoming a truly age-defying woman. At present, Raquel is the spokesperson “behind those Foster Grants,” in a new television commercial campaign for Foster Grant sunglasses and readers. 

Join me in wishing her a very Happy Birthday!