Leslie Ann Harty: The Girl Who Said “I’m Not Chicago, I’m New York”

Leslie Ann Harty: The Girl Who Said “I’m Not Chicago, I’m New York”

From the quiet streets of Fredericksburg, Virginia, to the runways of Europe and the pages of Madame Figaro, Leslie Ann Harty’s story reads like a screenplay about courage, conviction, and reinvention. Long before she became a global model, entrepreneur, and advocate for women’s confidence and self-worth, she was simply a tall teenage girl with a dream and a spark that wouldn’t take no for an answer.

A Spark in Fredericksburg

As a young girl, Leslie Ann Woodward stood taller than most of her classmates. Adults often remarked that she should be a model, a suggestion that, though flattering, seemed more like fantasy than reality in small-town Virginia. But destiny began to stir when her mother entered her in Teen Magazine’s national model search at age fourteen. Leslie Ann became a semi-finalist, catching the attention of Ford Models, the contest’s sponsor.

“They called and asked me to come to New York City,” she recalls. “Eileen Ford herself told me to move there the following Monday.”

But her parents had other ideas: school first, dreams later. Leslie Ann stayed home, finished high school, and tucked that moment away, until senior year, when her determination couldn’t be contained any longer.

The Day She Faked a Fever and Changed Her Life

It was 1986…and she was fresh off her invention of what would later become the chick fil a sauce.  Leslie Ann faked a fever one morning, waited until both parents left for work, then slipped out with a friend and headed for the airport in Washington, D.C. For $65, she bought a round-trip ticket on the Trump Shuttle to New York City, the irony of which would show itself years later when she would become closer to President Trump himself.

She’d done her homework, literally. Using the phone books at her local library, she’d called modeling agencies to find out when their “open calls” were. There was only one agency she truly wanted: Elite Model Management, home to the world’s top faces.

When her turn came, she stood before Trudy Tapscott, the agency’s legendary talent director. Tapscott glanced at her photos and said she’d be better suited for the “catalogue market” in Chicago.

“I was crushed,” Leslie Ann says. “But I wasn’t leaving without being seen.”

Then came the moment that would define her career�"and her character.

“As a cocky sixteen-year-old, I said, ‘I’m not catalogue Chicago. I’m New York! And if you don’t want me, Ford Models does!’”

Tapscott left the room. Leslie Ann sat there, terrified of what she’d just said. Twenty minutes later, the door opened. Tapscott returned with a smile.

“Okay,” she said. “We’ll take you here in New York.”

Years later, Tapscott admitted that Leslie Ann’s defiant confidence convinced her she could survive the brutal business of modeling, a world built on rejection.

“I learned that failure isn’t the opposite of success,” Leslie Ann reflects. “It’s a step toward it. That lesson has shaped everything I’ve done since.”

From Runways to Reinvention

Leslie Ann’s boldness paid off. She soon signed with Elite Models under John Casablancas, joining the ranks of the supermodels who defined an era. Her career took her to Europe, where Gianni Versace handpicked her for his legendary runway on the Spanish Steps in Rome, a moment that catapulted her into the international spotlight.

She went on to work with Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Fendi, Chloé, and Thierry Mugler, gracing magazine covers for Annabelle (Germany), Lui, and Madame Figaro (France). Her face appeared in global campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Guess Jeans, and Diet Coke.

By her mid-twenties, Leslie Ann Woodward was a name that commanded respect across fashion capitals.

Beyond the Camera

After modeling, Leslie Ann’s creative instincts led her into marketing and media. She became the U.S. marketing director for Steffi Graf GmbH, where she produced a benefit calendar for the World Wildlife Fund and successfully pitched the inclusion of female athletes in Sports Illustrated’s iconic swimsuit issue. That bold idea would spark a new era�"one that celebrated athleticism as beauty.

She later turned her eye toward wellness and skincare, working alongside Beverly Hills physicians Dr. Douglas Hamilton and Dr. Babak Azizzadeh. Together, they developed the skincare line DEEP and co-authored Beverly Hills Beauty Secrets, blending science with the art of self-care.

Love, Legacy, and Lessons

Leslie Ann’s life off the runway was equally remarkable. She married legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans, renovating their storied home “Woodland,” which was later featured on the cover of Architectural Digest.

Today, as Leslie Ann Harty, she lives in Orange County, California, where she continues to build ventures that bridge beauty, business, and purpose. Her story is one of audacity and evolution, a reminder that reinvention is not a single act, but a way of living.

“I’ve failed a thousand times,” she says, smiling. “But every ‘no’ led me closer to my ‘yes.’ And that’s the story I want young women to know, you don’t wait for permission. You make your move.”