Hadrian Miguel, Lifestyle and Skincare Director
Some of the Supermodels in 1990 by Peter Lindbergh
The OG Supermodels are making a comeback…Christy, Linda, Naomi, Cindy, and Claudia are all back with a vengeance and proving that it’s even better the second time around!
Collectively these women sparked the era of the Supermodel in the late 80′s and in the 1990′s when they could command tens of thousands of dollars a day and even millions for a major fashion and cosmetics campaigns. They are still gracing covers for major fashion magazines, still doing stylish editorials, and still featured in major fashion and beauty campaigns and commercials.
Since the height of their fame, individually they have worked continuously throughout their careers, but as times changed and the new milillienium approached, supermodels were being replaced by well-known entertainers like movie stars, and musical artists as celebrities and icons on the covers of fashion magazines and ad campaigns.
There have been a supermodel here (Giselle) or there (Heidi Klum), but none that had the cache and worldwide recognition of the following women. In 2009, the original supermodels have returned with some impressive new jobs and a few more notches in their careers. So let’s take a look at what these women are up to these days:
Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington, age 40, is one of the most successful supermodels. She is well-known as the face of Calvin Klein from 1987-2007. Christy first came into prominence as a teenager when she appeared in the video of Notorious by Duran Duran in 1986. She has appeared on over 500 magazine covers and surely more to come.
She signed a multiyear contract with Maybelline, marking her return to the company that made her famous with its Maybe She’s Born With It ad campaign from 1992-1998. Her other major campaigns this year include YSL, Bally, and Escada.
From fashion icon to activist, Christy Turlington has successfully created a diverse and multi-talented career as an entrepreneur, role model and spokesperson in the cosmetic, fashion, business and political worlds.
Today, she is an advocate for wellness and international aid, supporting women’s health projects and relief work across the globe. Additionally, Turlington is widely recognized as a prominent voice for yoga and a healthier way of life. Christy’s long term interest in yoga has culminated in the creation of two successful businesses – nuala, an apparel clothing line, and Sundari, an Ayurvedic skincare line – as well as the best selling book on yoga. Christy also teamed up with Puma with the launch of Mahanuala, a new collection of technical yoga-wear created as a complementary diffusion line to nuala.
Linda Evangelista on the cover of W Magazine
Linda Evangelista, age 44, is often called the chameleon for her frequently changing hairstyle and haircolor, and ability to transform in front of the camera. Linda began her ascent in the modeling world 1984 when she became the face of Nina Ricci and Guy Laroche and when she was featured on the cover of French Vogue in 1987. But it was in 1988 when she chopped her hair into a short little boy style cut that thrusted her into superstardom and in 1989, she became the face of Versace.
Naomi Campbell
Since stepping into the limelight over 20 years ago, Naomi Campbell‘s rise to stardom and notoriety really began in 1988 when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Paris (French Vogue) as that publication’s first black cover girl, after friend and mentor Yves St Laurent threatened to withdraw all of his advertising from the publication after it refused to place Naomi, or any black model, on its cover. In addition to French Vogue, Naomi also became the first black model to appear on the cover of Vogue UK, Vogue Japan, and Vogue China.
A high point of Naomi’s career was in the early 1990s, when she was part of the two major “supermodel” powerhouses: the Big 6, alongside Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Kate Moss, and The Trinity, alongside Turlington and Evangelista.
At age 39, she continues to model and walk the runway and has recently been featured in DSquared, SoBe Life Water, Dolce & Gabbana D&G Fragrance ad campiagn for fall/winter 2009. She also has been featured in British Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Korea, American Vogue, Voguel Italia, Vogue China, and Vogue Russia.
Cindy Crawford in Vogue Spain 2009
Due to her lengthy career, Naomi has worked with many of the world’s most renowned photographers, including Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, David LaChapelle, Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unwerth, Mario Testino and Peter Lindbergh.
Cindy Crawford is an American model, and at age 43, most notably known for her trademark mole and beauty mark above her lip. She has adorned well-above 400 magazine covers throughout her career. She has also appeared in many fashion campaigns during her career, including those for Gianni Versace, Escada, Revlon, Maybelline, and Clairol.
At the peak of her career the first time around, Cindy was host of MTV‘s House of Style from 1989 to 1995. In 2005, Crawford created a line of beauty products with Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh called Meaningful Beauty for Guthy-Renker.
At age 43, Cindy has retired from the runway, but has several furniture lines, and recently has been busy designing a successful housewares line for JC Penney. She currently has a major campaign with Omega watches, and has been recently featured in Allure, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ UK, Redbook, Vogue Spain, Vogue Paris, and Vanity Fair.
Claudia Schiffer
Claudia Schiffer, at age 39, is another of world’s most successful models, having appeared on over 500 magazine covers. In the beginning, after several magazine appearances she quickly achieved supermodel status when she was selected by Karl Lagerfeld to become the face of Chanel. She went on to become the most recognized face of Guess in the 1990s as well as, a huge contract with Revlon, and as the face for Mango.
At the height of her fame, she had danced with Mickey Mouse in a Fanta soda commercial for an estimated $2 million and for French automobile maker Citroën, she appeared in advertisements for a reported £3 million.
Claudia Schiffer still holds a contract with L’Oréal and Ebel watches. Recently, she been attached to the following fashion campaigns Dolce & Gabana D&G Fragrance, Yves Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Karl Lagerfeld filmed her for a Dom Perignon campaign. She is currently starring as the face of the new Alberta Ferretti signature fragrance.
Yasmin LeBon
Honorable mention goes to… Yasmin LeBon, age 44, a British & Iranian model and wife of Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon. She has been a well-known and popular editorial and fashion model. She has represented Clairol, Guess, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Biotherm, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Versace, Chanel and many others.
In 2009, she marks a major comeback with a national campaign as the face of Avon and their Anew Reversalist line of products. The commercial was shot by famed French photographer and director Stephane Sednaoui. Yasmin also steps into the spotlight to design her first women clothing and jewelry collection line called YLB with Wallis. Wallis is a British women’s clothing retailer. The brand operates from 134 stores and 126 concessions across the UK and Ireland.
