Christa P?¤ffgen (October 16, 1938 - July 18, 1988) was a singer-songwriter, fashion model, actress and Warhol superstar, best known by her pseudonym Nico. She is best remembered for a collaboration with The Velvet Underground in 1967. She is considered by many fashion experts and other models to be the German equivalent to Marilyn Monroe.
The date and location of Nico's birth are disputed. Most sources state October 16, 1938, Cologne, Germany. However, at least two other sources have put her birth date at March 15, 1943, in Budapest, Hungary.
Nico made her early fame as a model. After leaving school at 13, she started selling lingerie and soon was spotted by fashion people. A year later, her mother found her work as a model in Berlin. While on a modelling assignment in Ibiza, she met the photographer Tobias, who christened her "Nico" after his ex-boyfriend, filmmaker Nico Papatakis. Read more about ...
