As the ’70s drew to a glittering close, models were clearly the new celebrities of the era. Modeling was now not only a career, but an exciting, aspirational, and—best of all—lucrative one.
Disco divas turned into fitness fanatics, and everyone wanted the perfect body—or at least the perfect body for their brand. Janice Dickinson, Christie Brinkley (Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” the surfer chick turned CoverGirl), Carol Alt, and Paulina Porizkova were seen on the covers of the top fashion magazines and Sports Illustrated—they embodied the mass appeal of poster-girl perfection.
Flame-haired Grace Coddington started out in front of the camera, but used her modeling experience to graduate to fashion editor at British Vogue. Grace remains a leading force in the front row of fashion, and is the current creative director of American Vogue. Gia Marie Carangi’s career, however, ended tragically. Signed to model-turned-agent Wilhelmina Cooper, she went from fresh-faced beauty to heroin addict, revealing the dark side of the industry. She died in 1986 at only 26. Her life story would be turned into a movie in 1998’s Gia, which Angelina Jolie won a Golden Globe for her portrayal as the model.
By now, though, the industry—and thriving global economy—was all about putting on the gloss and the cover girl smile.
In 1981, Princess Diana married HRH Prince Charles, MTV debuted, and Brooke Shields was the face of Calvin Klein, uttering her infamous line: “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” At just under 15 years old, Brooke landed on Vogue, making her the youngest model to ever grace the cover of the magazine—a title she continues to hold today. Flashdance and Fame launched the legwarmer fad. Working Girl and Miami Vice, shoulder pads. Karl Lagerfeld became head designer at Chanel in 1983, and in 1984 John Galliano graduated from Central Saint Martins. At last it was time for the most recognizable faces to take the stage.
Linda, Christy, and Naomi: The Trinity.
First-name only recognition was the symbol of their supermodel status. These were the girls that pushed for the fees, the multimillion-dollar contracts, endorsements, and campaigns. And they got what they wanted. They embodied all it was to wear the crown that set them apart from the mere model. It was Linda who said, “I don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.” Rather than appalled, the fashion world applauded, and the girls became iconic household names. Gianni Versace sent the Trinity and Cindy Crawford out onto his runway—singing along to George Michael’s “Freedom,” whose 1990 music video featured all four models. They might have walked out as models, but they came back supermodels. Modern-day deities. That same year, Peter Lindbergh gathered Naomi, Linda, Tatjana 
Patitz, Cindy, and Christy together for the British Vogue cover, and, in their Giorgio de Sant’Angelo tops, their status was anointed by the fashion bible.
Helena Christensen, Tatjana, Stephanie Seymour, Claudia Schiffer, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow—there wasn’t a campaign or cover that didn’t want them. Claudia has said, “In order to become a supermodel, one must be on all the covers, all over the world, at the same time so that people can recognize the girls.” Niki Taylor achieved just this, setting the record in May 1996 for appearing on the most covers in one month as she was the face for Vogue, Elle, Allure, Marie Claire, Self, and Shape. These were the names that could sell anything: magazines, labels, the dream. They could make a show (or delay it, as nervous designers would wait for their arrival before sending out their looks) for their presence. With Isaac Mizrahi’s documentary Unzipped and Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter both released in 1994, the appetite for these girls was insatiable.
Tyra Banks, Veronica Webb, Carla Bruni, Karen Mulder, Yasmin Le Bon, Yasmeen Ghauri, and Carolyn Murphy ruled the runways. Herb Ritts, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, and Mario Testino were among their favored photographers. This was the era of women and power dressing. After all, 1988 marked the start of the power editor: this was the year Anna Wintour’s tenure as editor in chief of Vogue began, followed by Liz Tilberis taking the reins at Harper’s Bazaar in 1992.
But with the discovery of a certain girl at JFK International Airport in 1988, the supermodel status so defined by this era would change. London waif Kate Moss—meant to be the “anti-supermodel”—was perfect for the androgyny of the 1992 Marc Jacobs grunge collection, photographer Mario Sorrenti, and the heroin chic era that she and James King help to define in the ’90s. But Kate—like Linda—proved to be a chameleon. One moment she was the face of Calvin Klein, and the next she was the muse for the fairy-tale presentations of John Galliano. Kate has gone on to be more than just a trend for designers and ad campaigns—she sets and leads fashion trends, and has appeared on over 300 magazine covers to date. Kate Moss paved the way for models to not only embody but to actually become a brand and business, and the billboards were booming.
