Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Tatiana Patitz. In 1989, five models whose careers were gaining momentum stood in front of the lens of Peter Lindbergh. Smiling, calm and mesmerizing, they posed in Levi’s and bodysuits from Giorgio di Sant’Angelo. The black and white photo then appeared on the cover of British Vogue as a preview of what the next decade would bring. The models’ natural beauty and the simplicity of the styling made a decisive break with the lavish hairstyles and heavy make-up of the 1980s. It soon turned out that the faces in the photo did not so much represent the new decade as completely defined it. “Najntisy” was to become the era of supermodels. The moment girls discovered by chance on the street gained the status of a star. Colorful personalities whose fame went beyond the World of fashion and who turned into gold on every cover, campaign, and runway they touched. How did the story of the girls from the famous photo turn out? And why is the era of supermodels over?
The supermodel phenomenon
“Christy and I have a saying that we don’t get out of bed on less than $10,000 a day,” said Linda Evangelista in 1990. Even though it was just a joke, every joke has a grain of truth. After years of negotiations conducted on behalf of models by agencies, their salaries have reached a new, cosmic level. And this was only the beginning of the decade. The best was yet to come. When George Michael saw the famous photo of Peter Lindbergh, he decided that all five had to be featured in the music video for his new song “Freedom! ’90’. The artist never wanted to be in the spotlight again and needed a replacement. In the over 7-minute clip, directed by David Fincher, each got their own scene. The models lipsynced to the lyrics of a song that might as well have been about them. In an interview with MTV, they admitted that they liked the song’s message – about the pressure of fame and the compulsion to please the public and an image that is hard to escape.
Two watershed moments in fashion history soon led to a third. George Michael’s music video was seen by Donatella Versace and insisted that Cindy, Naomi, Christy and Linda be featured in the fall 1991 collection show. Gianni gave in to his sister and hired all four, although it was not so obvious. Previously, girls on the covers of magazines were not chosen as runway models. The task was to present the designs perfectly and they didn’t want anything to overshadow them on the runway. A big argument was also the stellar rates of recognizable photo models. The Versace siblings decided to go against the tide. In the middle of the show, to the beat of “Freedom! ‘the 90’, four heroines of the famous music video came to the catwalk one by one – it could not be otherwise – again moving their lips to the words of the song. Everything was watched from the front row by George Michael, invited at the head of the whole wreath of celebrities. The moment when embracing, giggling girls carelessly strolled down the catwalk was the beginning of a new era. According to Donatella’s marketing plan, the heroes of the evening hit the pages of the colorful press and were on everyone’s lips, just like the Versace collection. Since then, fashion shows have become great events and for celebrities, an opportunity to shine and emphasize their position in show business. But most of all, the supermodel phenomenon arose.
What did this lofty term actually mean? After all, the top positions in the modeling industry were achieved much earlier. Trails have been blazed by Suzy Parker, Jean Shrimpton and Lauren Hutton. Some believe that the first supermodel was Twiggy. These famous girls won cover after cover, high-stakes and great contracts even appeared on television, and yet to become a supermodel in the true sense of the word. Something was missing. In The Eileen Ford Modeling Agency, Robert Lacey writes: Supermodels are a small and elite group that was able to combine the adrenaline of the catwalk with the energy of the music video and take advantage of the growing popularity of the tabloids to create a completely new quality in the World of fashion. They are also distinguished by the fact that they stick together, although they come from different parts of the World and cooperate with different agencies – you can say that they have formed a kind of club. In an environment where professional envy is the order of the day, these girls made friends.”Â
Versace timeless icons
The supermodel myth originated on the Versace catwalk and is still perpetuated by the fashion house. In 2017, as a tribute to Gianni, Donatella invited her brother’s muse to participate in the show twenty years after his death. On the runway, to the song “Freedom! ’90”, again featuring Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Helena Christensen and Carla Bruni. Missing Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, however, the iconic moment showed that models do not have to end their careers after reaching a certain age. The authority of supermodels, just as it used to create trends and attract attention, can break down barriers today. For now, this applies to ageism, but perhaps in the future, it will also affect other restrictions artificially imposed by the industry. “Sometimes I think: fuck it. Maybe I don’t want to be a model anymore. But then I think, oh man, I’m showing women that at a certain age, we fade out and retire. Do I want it for women? So I don’t stop,” said Cindy Crawford. Of the five girls who appeared in the Versace show, all still work in various fashion sectors and seem irreplaceable. The list should also include a slightly younger but equally legendary Kate Moss, who today has her own agency and still appears on the catwalks. Although more than 30 years have passed since the 90s, no next generation of models has been able to repeat this phenomenon. At the turn of the century, actors and actresses took over the baton in box-office advertising and decided to make their images available for commercial purposes. Then social media democratized fashion and made it more difficult for “ordinary girls” without the millions of followers that could once be discovered by chance in the mall. Now their place has been taken by the golden children of show business. The so-called “Nepo Babies” are models with talent and a name that helped them break through. Sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber (formerly Baldwin), Kendall Jenner, Lily-Rose Depp, and Deva Cassel. Among them are also heirs to the supermodels’ genes: Kaia Gerber (Cindy’s daughter) and Lila Moss (Kate’s daughter). Italian model Vittoria Ceretti does not have such connections. You have no idea how much you have to fight to make people respect you. It takes years. And you get it for free on day one.” This bitter observation is the best proof that the days of self-made models are over.
