Clockwise, from top left: Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista —PHOTOs FROM VOGUE
The anticipation surrounding the release of the docuseries, “The Super Models,” on Apple TV+ was impossible to ignore. This four-part series delves into the meteoric rise of the top fashion models of the 1990s: Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford. Not only did they generate buzz with video clips and teasers as executive producers, but they also graced the covers of both American and British Vogue’s September issues. These September issues are known for being the most weighty and brimming with fashion and advertisements.
Recently, they concluded the annual Vogue World event in London, walking hand in hand and reminding the audience and viewers worldwide why they were dubbed supermodels in the first place. However, for those expecting a full-on display of 90s glamour, the first episode might surprise them. The hour-long episode delves into the humble beginnings of these supers, which were far from glamorous and rather disheartening.
Linda Evangelista, born in Canada, had a passion for fashion growing up. However, her tastes, including once sporting a mullet haircut, were not refined. Even the photos in her portfolio didn’t leave a lasting impression. As a teenager, she took a chance by going to Japan for a potential job. Despite already having her measurements on her model’s set card, they requested that she remove her clothes. Evangelista left without securing the job.
Naomi Campbell recalls being bullied for her skin color while studying at a private school in London when she was only 5 years old. However, she remained unfazed. “My mother was paying the school fees just like everyone else. I had every right to be here, so go take your bullying somewhere else,” she confidently stated. This sass and attitude served her well, as even at a young age, she was determined to make her mark in the modeling industry. “I was determined to work harder and go further,” Campbell declared. Her first magazine shoot for British Elle took place on a slave plantation in New Orleans. Photographer Martin Brading reflected on the shoot, saying, “It was six white people and a Black girl. That was 30 years ago. Different world.”
While Campbell continues to be the most visible of the four, booking campaigns and recently designing a capsule collection of sparkly dresses, it was Cindy Crawford who truly became an astute businesswoman due to her early experiences in the industry. One of her early international jobs was a shoot in Rome. She vividly remembers the hairdresser coming to her hotel room and cutting off her ponytail. Crawford was traumatized by the experience and cried after the cut, despite the resulting photos being fresh and on-trend. “It wasn’t that I didn’t like my hair short. I was not seen as a person who had a voice in her own destiny,” Crawford explained. This incident early in her career made her realize the importance of being proactive and participating actively in shaping her own image and career. “As you mature, you know when it’s important to say something and when it’s not,” Crawford reflected. To this day, she has never cut her hair again.
Unlike her counterparts, Christy Turlington managed to navigate the challenges of the late 80s and early 90s as a young model relatively unscathed. Known as “Turly” among her fellow supers, Turlington grew up in the suburbs of California, going to school and riding horses. However, her life took a dramatic turn when a model scout approached her at the stables. Turlington joined Ford Models in New York, headed by Eileen Ford, who provided dorm-style accommodations for her models on the premises. Top photographer Arthur Elgort personally selected Turlington for a Vogue shoot, catapulting her career to new heights. As Turlington previously mentioned in an interview, “When you work with one good photographer, the rest will follow.”
We may think we know these familiar faces from seeing them on magazine covers and music videos, such as George Michael’s “Freedom 90,” but “The Super Models” docuseries offers a unique opportunity to hear their voices and learn their backstories. Subscriptions to the docuseries are now available.
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