Wallis Franken Wikipedia, Husband, Children: Age, Family, Cause of Death, Obituary & BIO
Wallis Franken was more than just a model and an actress. She was the muse and the wife of one of the most influential fashion designers of the 1980s, Claude Montana.
Her striking beauty, her charismatic personality, and her tragic death have made her a fascinating figure in the history of fashion and celebrity culture. In this article, we will explore her life, her career, her relationship with Montana, and the circumstances of her mysterious demise.
Early Life and Career
Wallis was born in 1949 in the United States, to a wealthy and well-connected family. Her father was a lawyer and her mother was a socialite. She grew up in New York and Connecticut, attending prestigious schools and mingling with the elite. She had a natural flair for fashion and art and was drawn to the glamorous world of modeling and acting.
She started her modeling career in the late 1960s, working for top agencies such as Ford and Wilhelmina. She appeared in magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle, and walked the runways for designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Calvin Klein. She also ventured into acting, landing roles in films such as The Stepford Wives (1975), The Boys from Brazil (1978), and The World According to Garp (1982).
She was known for her striking features, her slender figure, and her distinctive style. She often wore dramatic makeup, bold accessories, and edgy outfits. She was also known for her outgoing and fun-loving personality, her sense of humor, and her adventurous spirit. She was friends with many celebrities, such as Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, and Madonna.
Wallis Franken Wiki/Bio
| Name | Wallis Franken |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 1949 |
| Birth Place | United States |
| Death Date | May 9, 1996 |
| Death Place | Paris, France |
| Cause of Death | Suicide (alleged) |
| Spouse | Claude Montana (1993-1996) |
| Parents | Lawyer (father) Socialite (mother) |
| Siblings | Francis Wallis (brother) |
| Occupation | Model, Actress |
| Net Worth | $2 million (estimated) |
| Wikipedia | Claude_Montana |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Meeting Claude Montana
In 1977, Wallis met Claude Montana, a young and rising French fashion designer, at a party in Paris. It was love at first sight for both of them, and they soon became inseparable. Montana was born in 1947 in Paris, to a Spanish father and a German mother.
He started his career by designing papier-mâché jewelry covered with rhinestones and then moved on to leather and other luxurious fabrics. He was known for his futuristic and powerful designs, featuring exaggerated shoulders, bright colors, and metallic accents. He was also known for his shy and introverted personality, his perfectionism, and his temper.
Franken became Montana’s muse, his inspiration, and his partner. She wore his creations with confidence and grace and helped him promote his brand and his vision.
She also supported him emotionally, as he struggled with his insecurities, his depression, and his drug addiction. They shared a passion for fashion, art, and music, and traveled the world together. They also shared a dark side, as they indulged in excesses and experimented with various substances.
The rise and fall of Montana
Claude Montana became one of the most successful and influential fashion designers of the 1980s, along with Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Azzedine Alaïa. He was hailed as the master of power dressing, as he created strong and confident looks for women who wanted to make a statement.
He also designed for men, and launched his own perfume line. He won several awards, such as the Golden Thimble for his haute couture collections for Lanvin in 1990 and 1992.
However, Montana’s fame and fortune came at a price. He faced increasing pressure from the industry, the media, and the public, to maintain his standards and his relevance. He also faced competition from younger and more innovative designers, such as Rei Kawakubo, Martin Margiela, and John Galliano.
He became more isolated, more paranoid, and more dependent on drugs. He also became more abusive and violent towards Wallis, who remained loyal and devoted to him, despite his erratic and cruel behavior.
In 1993, after 16 years of living together, Franken and Claude Montana decided to get married, in a lavish ceremony at the City Hall of Paris. It was a marriage of convenience and friendship, as Montana was openly homosexual, and Wallis was bisexual.
They wanted to appear more respectable and marketable to the public, and they also wanted to secure their legal and financial rights. However, their marriage did not improve their relationship, as Montana continued to mistreat Wallis and Franken continued to suffer in silence.
Parents and Siblings
Wallis was born in 1949 in the United States, to a wealthy and well-connected family. Her father was a lawyer and her mother was a socialite. She had one brother, Francis Wallis, who is also a fashion designer.
She grew up in New York and Connecticut, attending prestigious schools and mingling with the elite. She had a natural flair for fashion and art and was drawn to the glamorous world of modeling and acting.
Net Worth and Income Sources
According to some sources, Wallis Franken’s net worth was estimated to be around $2 million at the time of her death. Her income sources included her modeling and acting fees, as well as her inheritance from her family.
She also benefited from her marriage to Claude Montana, who was one of the most successful and influential fashion designers of the 1980s. He had his own company, The House of Montana, which went bankrupt in 1997. He also designed haute couture collections for the House of Lanvin, for which he received two consecutive Golden Thimble awards. He had a net worth of around $10 million at the peak of his career.
Physical Stats
| Height | 5 ft 7 in or 170 cm (estimated) |
| Weight | 58 kg or 128 lbs (estimated) |
| Eye Color | Pale Gray |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Body Measurements | 34-24-34 inches or 86-61-86 cm (estimated) |
Death Cause
On May 9, 1996, Franken died after falling from the kitchen window of their apartment in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. She was 47 years old. Her death was ruled a suicide, as she left a note saying “I love you, Claude” and “I’m sorry”.
However, many people suspected foul play, as there were signs of a struggle in the apartment and bruises on her body. Some of her friends and family believed that Montana pushed her, or that he drove her to kill herself, as he had threatened to do so many times before. Montana denied any involvement and claimed that he was asleep when she jumped. He said that she was depressed and that she had attempted suicide before.
Wallis Franken’s death shocked and saddened the fashion world and the celebrity world. She was remembered as a beautiful, talented, and generous woman, who had a tragic and troubled life. She was buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery, next to her mother, who had died of cancer a few years earlier. Montana attended her funeral, and paid tribute to her, saying that she was “the only woman I ever loved”.
Legacy
Wallis and Claude Montana left a lasting legacy in the history of fashion and culture. They were a couple that embodied the glamour, the excess, and the drama of the 1980s, and they influenced many designers, artists, and celebrities.
Their style, their attitude, and their story have been referenced and revisited in various media, such as books, documentaries, films, and songs. They have also been honored and celebrated in various exhibitions, retrospectives, and tributes.
Claude Montana survived Wallis by 28 years, but he never recovered from her death. He became more reclusive, more depressed, and more addicted.
He also faced financial and legal troubles, as his company went bankrupt, and he was sued by Lanvin for breach of contract. He died in Paris on February 23, 2024, at the age of 76, from complications of AIDS. He was buried next to Franken, in the same cemetery.
Wallis Franken and Claude Montana were a tragic and iconic duo, who lived and died by fashion. They were lovers, partners, and muses, who shared a passion and a pain that few could understand. They were the stars of their own drama, and the victims of their own demise. They were Wallis and Claude, and they will never be forgotten.
