Haute couture
During the early stage of her modeling career, McMenamy met two of the men who would become instrumental in her success as a model: photographer Peter Lindbergh, with whom she worked extensively, and Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld, to whom she became a muse. One of her first fashion campaigns was for Chanel's spring/summer 1985 Haute couture collection. That same year, she was photographed by Lindbergh for a Jil Sander ad campaign, and she also starred in an ad campaign for the Byblos fashion house. In 1986, she was featured in the book "A Day in the Life of America", photographed by Sante D'Orazio.