Top 10 Supermodels of the 1990s

With a 5’10” frame, blue-green eyes and a mixed Danish-Peruvian heritage, it’s not hard to see why Helena Christensen graced the covers of Elle and Vogue, and booked campaigns with Prada and Versace. Her killer legs and catwalk-perfect body helped make Chris Isaak’s video for “Wicked Game” one of the sexiest in history, and undoubtedly contributed to her becoming one of the original Victoria Secret Angels.

Before she became a Victoria Secret Angel, Tyra Banks broke barriers for African-American models when she appeared on the covers of GQ and Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue. Banks quickly became known for her fierce attitude and self-assured strut, and eventually earned herself the title of VH1’s Supermodel of the Year in 1997.

She graced her first magazine cover before she was 12 and soon after, people began to take notice of Milla Jovovich’s looks and blossoming sex appeal. More covers followed, as did campaigns for high profile designers. By 1998, she was the face of L’Oreal cosmetics and she has since turned her success in the fashion world into a kick-ass acting career.

Modeling was never the same once the waif-like Kate Moss emerged in numerous Calvin Klein campaigns, with her skinny frame and highly defined features. Despite the heavy criticism directed at this heroin chic look, Moss became one of the most popular faces of the ‘90s, and went on to model for many other huge names like Yves Saint-Laurent and Burberry.

Tall, blonde, with captivating blue eyes, Tatjana was one of the five supermodels that graced the legendary cover of British Vogue in 1990. Along with her beautiful friends, she was subsequently cast in George Michael’s “Freedom! 90” music video. During her heyday, Patitz worked for the likes of Armani and Ralph Lauren and appeared in Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmo.

While she stood out for her height, blond locks and baby blues, Claudia Schiffer really made a splash after slipping into a pair of Guess? Jeans. This native of Germany soon became one of the industry’s highest paid models after she bagged a contract with Revlon. She also made history as the first model on several notable publications, such as “The New York Times” and “Rolling Stone.” She continued her success by showing off her athletic build with several best-selling workout videos.

As one third of the supermodel “Trinity,” she proved that women could still look beautiful and feminine with short hair. With her high cheekbones and glamorous look, Linda Evangelista was another of the Big Six: she covered Vogue Italia more than any other model and was the one who declared that she and her fellow supermodels would refuse to get out of bed for less than $10 000 a day.

Turlie’s striking features were due in part to her El Salvadorean mother. The brunette beauty soon cemented her place as one of the “Trinity” after becoming a model for 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 – and one of the Big Six’s – most professional models.

Ever since she was a teen, Naomi Campbell turned heads with her exotic looks, which were the product of a Jamaican-Chinese background. Oozing sultriness wherever she went, “Naomi” made history as the first African-American model to appear on several international covers of 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.

With her all-American looks and an extremely fit and trim figure, it didn’t take long for Cindy Crawford to take the modeling world by storm. Her brown hair and eyes, as well as her trademark mole, merely enhanced “Cindy”’s worldwide fame and appeal. By 1995, Crawford was declared the business’ highest paid model: she already had several years under her belt as the original host of MTV’s “House of Style” and spawned several global trends with her style and fashion choices.

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