They are icons and represent their decades: This selection of supermodels can be seen together for the first time – at the Italian “Vanity Fair”.
They all had their era – and shaped the time in their own way. Now the Italian edition of “Vanity Fair” has brought together 21 of the greatest supermodels of all time on one cover. The aim of the “Fashion Issue” by the star photographer duo Luigi and Iango: to gather the greatest representatives of fashion history for a current photo and to show them as if time had stood still.
Fashion, image of women, society
From Clara Bow to Margot Robbie: The 20 greatest It girls of the last 100 years – these women shaped the times
The 21 names include icons such as Twiggy, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. They cover a fashionable period of almost 40 years – starting with the “Swinging Sixties” and ending with the 1990s, a particularly impressive decade for supermodels. In addition to the impressive cover photo, which shows all 21 models in their prime, each of them is shown again alone in black and white.
The result: an impressive collage of cover photos that gives the feeling of turning back time. Do you recognize every model?
The biggest since the “Swinging Sixties”
The sixties
1. Twiggy
Lesley Hornby, better known as Twiggy, shaped the fashionable “Swinging Sixties”. Her stage name came from her slim figure, as Twiggy means something like “thin branch”. Even though she always described her body as “too thin,” Diana Vreeland, former editor-in-chief of American Vogue, saw her figure as the “ideal body” of the time. Twiggy ushered in a fashion revolution that continues to shape us today: that of gender-free fashion.
2. Penelope Tree
Penelope Tree also shaped the sixties. She is considered the American version of Twiggy, an icon who breaks fashion laws. Diana Vreeland, the head of “Vogue”, described the then 16-year-old as a “youthquake”, a “youthquake” who would bury all ideas of style. She should be right.
3. Pat Cleveland
As one of the first African-American models in the fashion industry, Pat Cleveland had a significant impact on the 1960s and 1970s.
The seventies
4. Iman Bowie
The influence of the Somalian Iman Bowie was also great. As a young girl, she escaped traditional circumcision thanks to a trick from her parents. Less than ten years later, she was photographed for the first time for American Vogue. Today, David Bowie’s 68-year-old widow is a women’s and girls’ rights activist.
5. Lauren Hutton
The American supermodel became known for her gap in her teeth. It contributed to her unique charisma and made her one of the most sought-after photo models of the 1970s. She was on the cover of ” Vogue” to see.
6. Elisabetta Dessy
Elisabetta Dessy is a multi-talent. She didn’t start her career as a model, but as a swimmer in the 1976 Olympic Games. Then the first modeling offers awaited her – and Dessy became one of the most influential models of her time.
The eighties
7. Paulina Porizkova
The Czech-American photo model was a cover girl like in the book. In her prime, she was seen on the covers of magazines such as Life, Vogue, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Playboy.
8. Shalom Harlow
As a teenager, Harlow was discovered by a model scout at a concert by The Cure in Toronto. She dropped out of school and became a supermodel, fashion model and icon of the 1980s and 90s.
9. Milla Jovovich
Reducing Milla Jovovich to “Resident Evil” wouldn’t do her justice. The actress began her modeling career at the age of nine, and just a little later she was photographed together with Alexa Singer and Sandra Zatezalo as “Most Unforgettable Women in the World”. It was the start of an impressive career that, in addition to fashion, also included acting and music. Her impact at that time was so great that she was even called Miuccia Prada’s muse and Gianni Versace’s favorite model.
10. Kirsten Owen
Kirsten Owen was discovered when she was just 16 years old. A little later she moved from Toronto, Canada to Milan, was photographed for the cover of “Elle” and walked for major designers such as Prada and Jil Sander. It was the beginning of an illustrious career that took Owen to the biggest fashion capitals.
11. Carla Bruni
Bruni is not exactly known for her modeling career, but primarily as a singer and beautiful wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. But even before 2007, the native Italian had an impressive career as a model and muse for numerous artists and designers. She walked for Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld and at the same time became known as one of the highest paid photo models in the world. With Schiffer, Campbell and Crawford, she is one of the greatest of her time.
12. Helena Christensen
Gianni Versace described her body as the “most beautiful in the world.” Helena Christensen’s career took off after she won a beauty contest in her homeland. Shortly afterwards, the 1.77 meter tall Dane was seen on the covers of “Vogue” and “Elle” – hundreds of other covers were to be added over the course of her career.
The nineties
13. Stephanie Seymour
At just 14 years old, Stephanie Seymour wins the Look of the Year competition. The victory earned her a contract with the renowned agency Elite Model, followed by campaigns for companies such as L’Oréal, Chanel, Versace and Victoria’s Secret. What did the Californian woman most impress the designers with at the time? With a flawless complexion and her symmetrical face.
14. Naomi Campbell
Campbell had her breakthrough in 1989, a year before the aforementioned “Vogue” shoot, when she became the first black woman to grace the cover of French Vogue magazine in September 1989. As the daughter of a Jamaican ballet dancer and a Jamaican-Chinese father, she owes her iconic look – her black skin with incredible almond eyes – to her genes. Campbell has graced more than 500 covers over the course of her career and the model has also appeared on numerous runways. In 1991, Campbell was named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine.
15. Kristen McMenamy
Kristen McMenamy was never the stereotypical model. Her extraordinary, androgynous appearance made her world famous, and her radical makeovers made her so desirable to the fashion world. McMenamy had her hair cut short and dyed black and shaved off her eyebrows, fueling the decade’s so-called “grunge trend” pioneered by bands like Nirvana.
16. Eva Herzigova
Eva Herzigova had her breakthrough with an advertising campaign for Victoria’s Secret’s “Wonderbra”, after which the whole world knew her. She walked for Victoria’s Secret, was photographed for luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss and was featured on numerous magazine covers.
17. Claudia Schiffer
Flawless complexion, pout and blonde mane make Claudia Schiffer the epitome of the 90s supermodel. Affectionately called “Clodia” by Karl Lagerfeld, he declared the German woman his muse in 1988 and signed her as a house model for the luxury label Chanel. Schiffer became a global star, appeared on more than 500 covers of the most renowned magazines and is still active as a model to this day.
18.Cindy Crawford
The birthmark above the left corner of her mouth made her famous; Karl Lagerfeld in particular idolized Crawford for this iconic look. In 2000, Crawford officially ended her career as a model after over 1,000 cover photos, countless runway jobs and an estimated annual income of $9 million. Today, daughter Kaia Gerber has followed in her supermodel mom’s footsteps and is conquering the world’s catwalks.
19. Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington is also one of the legendary faces of the 1990s. She was discovered by photographer Dennie Cody at the age of 13 at a horse show in Miami. The American’s breakthrough came in 1987 when star photographer Steven Meisel photographed her for the cover of the Italian “Vogue”.
20. Carolyn Murphy
From the farm to the supermodel: Carolyn Murphy came from the countryside, was discovered by a model scout and moved to the fashion capital of Milan after graduating from school. Her breakthrough came in 1995 when she had to have her long hair cut off after a hair dyeing accident – the new, masculine short haircut made her a star overnight.
21. Amber Valletta
She is one of the biggest supermodels of the 1990s, and today she is primarily active as an actress. Amber Valletta is known from blockbusters like “Hitch – The Date Doctor”, “Transporter – The Mission” or “Gamer”, but some people might also remember her as the face of the Calvin Klein perfume “Eternity”.
Source: “Vanity Fair”
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