Even though walking the catwalk down the runway and posing in front of a camera doesn’t seem like a whole lot of work, you should be aware of the fact that it takes so much more to become a successful fashion model. From rigorous diets and complex exercise routines to tight schedules and jetlag-induced insomnia, the life of a top-tier supermodel often consists of tasks that only a few can accomplish. If you are an observer of one of the famous fashion week shows, such as the one held annually in Paris, it will probably all seem like sunshine and roses.
However, the modern fashion industry is a highly-competitive business that leaves no space for improvisation, amateurism, or weakness. The best proof to support this claim is the number of supermodels that have succeeded at maintaining their status for more than just a few seasons.
According to many experts, the 90s were the golden age for the fashion business, and only a handful of contemporary cover girls can compete with the goddesses that have dominated the runway at the time. In this article, we bring you a list of the most successful supermodels of the 90s, together will a detailed analysis of all the features that made them stand out from the crowd.
In general, their beginnings were modest and often associated with small start-ups and minor fashion projects such as mmgmodels.co.uk. Nonetheless, they have reached unexpected heights in their line of work and left an indelible mark on the entire showbusiness. When the time came, some of them switched to charity work, others became prominent actresses and TV hosts, and some are still rather influential in the fashion industry.
Naomi Campbell
Ever since she first appeared in the late 80s, at the age of 15, Naomi Campbell is one of the most recognizable faces of the fashion industry. At the height of her fame, in the late 90s, she was one of the six most-wanted supermodels. Aside from walking down the runway, she also tried her luck in the music and TV industry.
She has two failed marriages behind her, both of which ended without children. During her turbulent international career, she was involved in a wide range of scandals and even had problems with drug addiction. In the early 2000s, she entered rehab, which has helped her stop her excessive cocaine and alcohol consumption. Nowadays, her focus is on charity work, but she is still a frequent guest of all the major fashion shows.
Linda Evangelista
Born in 1965 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Linda Evangelista is, without any doubt, the most successful Canadian fashion model of all time. Fashion experts see her as the most influential model of all time because she has been on more than 700 magazine covers, most of which were shot by the globally famous fashion photographer Steven Maisel. During her career, she appeared in a large number of movies and music videos. Nowadays, she is one of the most prominent activists that work on raising awareness of the dangers of HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and child abuse.
Cindy Crafford
Born in DeKalb, Illinois, in 1966, Cindy Crafford is probably the most successful American model ever. Throughout her flashy international career, her face appeared on countless covers of the most influential magazines and newspapers. She is currently married to a successful entertainment industry businessman, Rande Gerber, with whom she has a daughter. However, her previous marriage with Richar Gere was way more interesting to the press. Even though it lasted for only four years, it seems it helped her make some rather useful connections in the movie industry. Consequently, at the height of her fame, she played Kate McQueen in a romantic thriller movie called Fair Game in 1995. These days, she spends most of her time working on her line of beauty products called Meaningful Beauty.
Claudia Schiffer
Born in Rheinberg, Germany, in 1970, Claudia Maria Schiffer is another very significant face in the world of modeling. During most of her career, she was stationed in Great Britain and worked for almost every major agency. Both her fans and journalists often compare her to the famous Brigitte Bardou. According to some unofficial statistics, she has appeared on more than one thousand magazine covers, and, as it turns out, this qualified her for the Guinness Book of World Records. In the early 2000s, the magazine Forbes claimed her net worth is somewhere in the vicinity of US$55 million. She lives with her husband Matthew Vaugh, with whom she has three children.
Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen is, without any doubt, the most successful Danish model of all time, and one of the most beautiful women to ever walk the runway. She was born in Copenhagen, in 1968, and at the age of 18, she won the Miss Universe of Denmark competition. Soon after that, her popularity went through the roof, and she pursued a modeling career in France. During the 90s, she was in a relationship with actor Norman Reedus, with who she has a son Minguns Lucien. Nowadays, she spends most of her time in her apartments in Copenhagen and New York. She is a passionate activist of several organizations whose goals are to raise climate change awareness, gather money for breast cancer research, and mitigate the effects of industrial pollution.
Stephanie Seymour
One of the most successful American models, Stephanie Seymour, was born in San Diego, California, in 1968. During her turbulent international career, filled with intrigue and scandals, she appeared in several movies, series, and even video games.
During the 90s, she was in a relationship with the famous frontman of Guns’n’Roses, Axl Rose. During the same period, she appeared in two music videos of the aforementioned band. She is currently in her second marriage and has given birth to four children. Unfortunately, her Harry Brant died from a drug overdose on January 17, 2024.