When it comes to a good throwback, no one does it better than the supermodel set.
So, of course, it’s no surprise the world’s original ‘supers’ of the ’80s and ’90s are behind virtually all the iconic moments in fashion history.
And because we love a chance to reminisce, we thought we’d take a look back and celebrate the supermodels themselves, tracking their incredible then-and-now beauty and career evolutions to see just how far they’ve come.
From Naomi Campbell to Australia’s own Elle Macpherson, keep scrolling to see them all.
Cindy Crawford
While Cindy Crawford’s famous beauty mark was originally perceived as a flaw (which she says she “hated” having as a child), it eventually became part of her signature supermodel look. One of the reigning faces of fashion in ’80s and ’90s, Crawford (pictured left in May 1989, and right in March 2020) has since retired from modelling, and has passed the torch onto her daughter Kaia Gerber (who looks uncannily like her).
Christy Turlington Burns
Boasting an incredible career spanning decades, Christy Turlington Burns (pictured left in 1986, and right in 2018) was first discovered at the age of 14, although her career didn’t take off until a few years late. She famously signed a seven-figure contract with Calvin Klein in 1989, became a face for Maybelline in 1992 and was part of that iconic Versace runway moment. In the last decade, Turlington Burns acquired her Masters in Public Health from Columbia University and made her directorial debut with the documentary film No Woman, No Cry, which exposed maternal health issues in different parts of the world.
Naomi Campbell
Iconic in every sense of the word, Naomi Campbell’s modelling career has been nothing short of spectacular. Scouted in 1986 while window shopping in her hometown of London, Campbell (pictured left in 1989) has walked and posed for just about every famed fashion designer under the sun (multiple times over). And she’s far from retired. In February 2020, the 50-year-old supermodel took to the runway for Kenneth Ize’s autumn/winter ’20 at Paris Fashion Week (pictured right).
Helena Christensen
Denmark’s Helena Christensen was among the reigning ‘Magnificent Seven’ supermodels of the ’90s. Besides appearing on over 600 magazine covers and the runways for some of the biggest names in fashion (pictured left on the Chanel RTW spring/summer runway in 1989), she is also remembered as being one of the original Victoria’s Secret Angels. Since then, Christensen (pictured right in October 2019) has had quite the career outside of modelling. She’s also an accomplished photographer and was the co-founder and original creative director for Nylon magazine. Christensen does still model today, and most recently appeared on the Balmain runway at Paris Fashion Week in February 2020.
Kate Moss
Discovered at just 14 years old, Kate Moss went on to become, not only a top model and ‘It’-girl, but also the defining face of the ’90s controversial ‘heroin chic’ aesthetic. Pictured left in 1990, Moss famously starred in Calvin Klein’s 1993 Obsession campaign, which catapulted her to icon status from then onward. Today, the 46-year-old (pictured right in February 2020) is still modelling, but has also branched into the business side of fashion, having notably launched her own modelling agency in 2016 simply named, Kate Moss Agency.
Elle Macpherson
Nicknamed ‘The Body’ back in 1989, Elle Macpherson has had quite the stellar career thus far—and it’s certainly showing no signs of slowing down. Entering the world of modelling in the 1980s (as captured on the left 1987, and on the right in 2019), the Australian supermodel has fronted the covers of numerous major fashion magazines (including our May 2020 issue) and walked for the likes of Louis Vuitton and Azzedine Alaïa, among many others. She also famously appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue a record five times. Beyond modelling, the 56-year-old mother-of-two founded her health supplement company WelleCo in 2014, whose signature greens powder, the ‘Super Elixir’, has garnered a cult following worldwide.
Claudia Schiffer
Famously discovered in a German nightclub at just 17, Claudia Schiffer, like a number of models who almost had different careers, originally aspired to be a lawyer. Instead, Schiffer went on to become one of the biggest faces of the ’90s (pictured left at the start of the decade), starring in campaigns for Chanel and Guess, and walking for Versace, Christian Dior and more. Today, the 49-year-old supermodel and mother-of-three (pictured right in 2019) is still modelling, has released multiple exercise videos, a hair care line, her own cashmere collection and is involved with UNICEF.
Tyra Banks
From supermodel to super-mogul, Tyra Banks has had one seriously impressive career trajectory. The 46-year-old first entered into the world of modelling in 1990 when she was just 15. The following year, Banks (pictured left in 1990, and right in 2019) booked a record 25 shows at Paris Fashion Week. Her career hit a milestone in 1996, when she became the first African-American model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue (she even recreated that iconic cover in 2019). She has since had her own talk show, appeared in movies, written three books and, of course, created the highly successful Top Model TV franchise.
Carla Bruni
The Italian-born-French-raised Carla Bruni commenced her modelling career in the late ’80s walking for the likes of Christian Dior, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, and more. By the 1990s (pictured left at the start of the decade), she was among the 20 highest-paid models in the world. In 1997, Bruni quit modelling to pursue music, going on to become a highly successful singer-songwriter. While she doesn’t regularly take to the runway these days, Bruni (pictured right in February 2020) memorably joined Schiffer, Campbell, Christensen and Crawford to close Versace’s spring/summer 2018 show to honour the late Gianni Versace.
Christie Brinkley
Arguably the face of the ’80s (her 1983 look remains one of the most iconic hairstyles in history), Christie Brinkley gained worldwide fame when she appeared in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issues in the late 1970s, appearing on an unprecedented three consecutive covers from 1979. Pictured left in 1983, and right in January 2020, Brinkley, 66, was the face of CoverGirl for 25 years and boasts over 500 magazine covers under her belt. In more recent years, she has also worked as an actress, illustrator, writer and designer, and is well-known for her advocacy work for human, animal and environmental rights.
Iman
Somali supermodel Iman kicked off her modelling career in the mid ’70s (pictured left in 1975, right in March 2020). She quickly became a firm fixture in the fashion world and went on to play muse for many prominent designers over the years, including Gianni Versace, Halston, Issey Miyake and most notably, Yves Saint-Laurent, who once described her as his “dream woman”. Beyond modelling, she founded Iman Cosmetics in 1994, which gained vast recognition for being one of the first makeup brands to cater to darker skin tones, has appeared in a slew of TV and film roles, and is a vocal philanthropist for a number of causes.
Brooke Shields
Long before Cara Delevingne came on the scene, supermodel Brooke Shields gave us the original eyebrows to envy. Starting her career as a child actress in the late ’60s (pictured left circa 1970), Shields went on to become one of the most recognisable cover and campaign stars of the ’80s (who could forget her Calvin Klein ad with the tagline “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”). These days, Shields (pictured right in November 2019) is still acting, having held a number of TV, film and theatre roles over the years.
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