Linda evangelista short hair

A Star Is Born

Growing up near Niagara Falls in Canada, Evangelista dreamed of becoming a model and taped magazine pages of iconic '70s faces like Joan Severance and Janice Dickinson to her walls.

"I loved fashion so much," she told PEOPLE.

In 1977, a newspaper ad for a local modeling school caught her eye.

A black and white photo of a woman with short hair.

Saturday evening vibes: Confidence zipped up and ready to shine.

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Model Linda Evangelista burst on the scene with a new pixie in See a photo gallery of her best hairstyles from bobs to updos and long hair.

When Linda Evangelista got a pixie cut chopped in by Julien d'Ys in , little did she know it would become an era-defining haircut – and.

That eventually led to the Miss Teen Niagara Pageant in 1981. She didn't win, but a scout from the prestigious Elite agency was in the audience. Evangelista landed her first job three years later, in an ad for hairstylist Jean Louis David.

"He cut my hair and photographed me," she recalled. "The cherry on top was that I got paid. I couldn't believe my big fortune."

The '80s Baby

Evangelista's career quickly skyrocketed, and in the mid '80s she found herself on the Paris Fashion Week circuit, seen here in bold hues and prints at the Yves Saint Laurent