A Star Is Born - Brazilian model Marianne Weikert - Brief Article

Interview, August, 2000 by Patrick Giles

HELLO, GORGEOUS!

She's been labeled a "Baby Barbra," by some in the fashion world, and it's not because she sings "People." To look at Brazilian model Marianne Weikert is to see a beauty of the present who evokes a major figure from a time that can only now be considered "the past." Weikert's tawny grace is very much her own, but a lot of what makes her stand out--the prominent nose, passionate eyes, full lips--comes from her uncanny resemblance to Barbra Streisand. Actually, Weikert is able to be a model in part because Streisand was one of those who challenged postwar American conceptions of who is "beautiful."

While the story of Streisand's rise from Brooklyn to stardom is now part of entertainment myth, it's harder to recall how bitter a struggle she faced with audiences over her anything-but-apple-pie appearance. In early tapes of Streisand performances, gasps and giggles can be heard when she's introduced. The singer was building a career at a time when performers couldn't be black, ethnic, or different--or went to absurd lengths to look and sound as passable as possible. When Streisand made her screen debut in Funny Girl (1967) crooning "Hello, gorgeous!" to her own reflection, she was throwing down a gauntlet she'd spent years armoring.

A generation later, Streisand's impact continues to send ripples through our perceptions of who we are and whom we admire. "American beauty" is an ever-expanding parade of faces and manners. Marianne Weikert may draw her allure from another's looks, guts, and triumph, but time and talent may make it into something completely her own.

Marianne, aka Baby Barbra," wears Dolce & Gabbana (right), recalling La Streisand's outfit in For Pete's Sake (1974).