Top 10 Supermodels of All Time

Born in Brazil and with Italian and Polish ancestry, Alessandra Ambrosio got her first taste of the profession when she enrolled in modeling classes at age 12. With that knowledge and her undeniable good looks, the teen went on to grace the cover of Brazilian Elle magazine and book the Millennium GUESS? Campaign in the 1990s. While she walked for designers like Givenchy and Christian Dior, she is most known for being a Victoria Secret Angel - and particularly as the PINK line’s first spokesmodel. In 2012, Forbes named her one the world’s top 10 highest-paid models.

Somalia-born Iman’s tall, slim figure, long neck and smooth brown skin first caught the eye of an American photographer while she was in university in the 1970s. It wasn’t long before she nabbed the cover of Vogue magazine and strutted her stuff on the catwalk for celebrated designers like Yves Saint Laurent. While breaking barriers in the fashion industry with her exotic looks, Iman found herself working with many well-known designers and photographers, ranging from Gianni Versace and Calvin Klein to Helmut Newton and Annie Leibovitz. She also became involved with film, charity and cosmetics and was married David Bowie from 1992 until his death in 2016.

With her blond hair, blue eyes, winning smile and slender build, Christie Brinkley embodied the all-American female ideal. Discovered in the early ‘70s by an American photographer, it wasn’t long before she was signed to a modeling agency and nabbed a CoverGirl partnership that would last over two decades. In the late ‘70s-early ‘80s, Brinkley would become the first model to cover Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for three straight years. While this led to successful calendars and numerous other contracts, Brinkley’s pop culture status was truly cemented with her role in the box office hit, “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and her high-profile marriage to Billy Joel in the 1980s.

This German supermodel has become synonymous with “THE runway” after becoming host, judge and executive producer of the TV ratings phenomenon known as Project Runway. However, long before Heidi Klum topped Forbes’ list of highest-earning models in 2008, she was already a legit icon while younger women were still learning the business. She became a sex symbol through Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues and her time with Victoria Secret, as well as a pop-culture superstar through appearances in numerous films and TV shows. As the ultimate renaissance woman of the 2000s, Heidi Klum is the fine wine of supermodels.

While she stood out for her 5’11’’ long frame, blonde locks and baby blues, Claudia Schiffer really made a splash after slipping into a pair of Guess? Jeans in the early 1990s. While she was featured in magazines like British Vogue and Playboy, this native of Germany became one of the industry’s highest paid models after she bagged a 10 year-contract with Revlon for about $6 million annually. She also made history as the first model on several notable non-fashion publications, such as “Rolling Stone.” She then continued her success by showing off her athletic build with several best-selling workout videos.

Turlie’s striking features are due in part to her El Salvadorean mother, which helped get her discovered by a photographer when she was just a teen going to high school in the U.S. The brunette beauty soon cemented her place as one of the “Trinity” – along with Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista - after becoming a model for designers like Calvin Klein and the face of Maybelline Cosmetics. When she wasn’t parading the runways with her tall and lean figure, Christy Turlington kept busy building a reputation as one of the industry’s most professional models.

By 2010, this Brazilian bombshell had been a Victoria’s Secret Angel for a full decade. And Adriana Lima’s continued demand in the 2010s is a testament to her popularity and talent. As the face of the Marc Jacobs’ “Decadence” campaign and “Vogue Eyewear” while in her early 30s, she has not only defied industry standards, but has also retained her status one of the highest-paid models in the world. Even if you’re somewhat detached from the modeling scene, you’ll probably recognize Adriana for her massively successful Super Bowl ads, most notably with Teleflora. If supermodels have a to-do list, then Lima has certainly been there, done that – and more.

Gisele’s history of catwalk carnage is sprawling and vast. She’s known as the “Boobs from Brazil” and innovated the horse walk, which marked a new era for the modeling industry. Gisele kicked off the 2000s by signing a record-breaking deal to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel and by 2009, “The Independent” had called her “the biggest star in fashion history.” She’s not only regarded as the ultimate supermodel by many of her peers, but also as one of the most powerful women in the entertainment industry. We salute you, Gisele Bündchen, and you are cordially invited to blow our minds forever.

Ever since she was a teen, Naomi Campbell turned heads with her unique looks, which were the product of an African and Chinese-Jamaican background. Oozing sultriness wherever she goes, she covered British Elle before turning 16 years of age. But Campbell really made history when she became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue. She completed the supermodel “Trinity” by becoming one of the most sought-after women in fashion, despite her outspoken personality and a reputation for being hard to work with. Campbell was also one of the “Big Six” of the supermodel world along with Schiffer, Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Kate Moss.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Linda Evangelista
- Lesley Lawson [aka Twiggy]
- Karlie Kloss

With her all-American good looks and an extremely fit and trim figure, it didn’t take long for Cindy Crawford to take the modeling world by storm. Dropping out of university to pursue the profession full-time, she signed with an agency in the mid-80s and soon covered multiple magazines and found herself on many catwalks. Meanwhile, her brown hair and eyes, as well as her trademark mole, enhanced Crawford’s worldwide fame and appeal. In 1995, Forbes declared her the business’ highest paid model, which is no surprise considering she already had several years under her belt as the original host of MTV’s “House of Style” and had spawned several global trends with her fashion choices.