Tina Chow | |
---|---|
Born |
Bettina Louise Lutz April 18, 1950 Lakeview, Ohio, U.S. |
Died | January 24, 1992 Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
(aged 41)
Cause of death | Complications from AIDS |
Other names | Bettina L. Chow |
Alma mater | Sophia University |
Occupation | Model, jewelry designer |
Spouse(s) | Michael Chow (m. 1972; div. 1989) |
Children |
China Chow Maximillian Chow |
Relatives | Adelle "Bonnie" Lutz (sister) |
Bettina Louise "Tina" Chow (née Lutz; April 18, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American model and jewelry designer who was considered an influential fashion icon of the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second wife of restaurateur Michael Chow, the founder and owner of the Mr. Chow restaurant chain.
Chow was born Bettina Louise Lutz in Lakeview, Ohio. Her father, Walter Edmund Lutz, was an American of German descent, while her mother, Mona Lutz (née Furuki), was Japanese. Walter Lutz met Mona Furuki on Christmas Day 1945, while serving with the United States Army in occupied Japan. Chow's sister is actress Adelle "Bonnie" Lutz.
In the mid-1960s, the family moved from Ohio to Japan, where Chow attended Sophia University. Both sisters were later discovered by a modeling agent and became the faces of Japanese cosmetic line Shiseido and featured prominently in their ad campaigns from the early 1970s. During her modeling career she was photographed by Helmut Newton, Cecil Beaton and Arthur Elgort, among others. She was drawn by illustrator Antonio Lopez. and painted by Andy Warhol. She was also the muse of designers Yves St. Laurent and Issey Miyake.
Chow was cited by fashion magazines for her unique style. She routinely paired inexpensive items with high fashion pieces and mixed feminine and masculine styles simultaneously. Chow was also noted for her androgynous Eton crop hairstyle which she had cut at a New York barbershop and styled with Dippity Do. In 1985, she was named on the International Best Dressed List.