Growing up, Visage looked up to Madonna, Belinda Carlisle, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper and Dale Bozzio. She then moved to New York and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan for two years. When Visage was 16, she won a Madonna lookalike competition. She attended South Plainfield High School in South Plainfield, New Jersey, graduating in 1986. She was adopted and was aware of this from an early age.