This Balmain ad with Cindy, Naomi and Claudia inspired a goodly amount of nostalgia for the era when supermodels were actually super models, and slaying was not just a hashtag but a way of life. They were goddesses of runway and print, but they also had some fire behind the eyes—that and perfect timing was their true path to success.
Above, Cindy, Herr Karl, Helena Christiansen and Claudia close out Chanel couture 1992. Yes, that is Karl Lagerfeld. He used to look a lot differently, and was probably nicer.
Naomi Campbell modeling swimwear at Oscar de La Renta in 1994 is a look we’ve seen a lot throughout the ages, or at least the spirit of it—Naomi on vacation, not giving a fuck. Cindy’s jaunt on Todd Oldham’s ‘94 runway was full of classic, understate beauty, and then Naomi again on Anna Sui wearing little fox ears and an outfit I would wear in 2016 in its entirety. Moschino wishes.
Watch Christy Turlington leave utter carnage on these catwalks, for Versace in the years 1991-1994.
Personality. Attitude. These women bled that shit. Linda Evangelista’s runway walk for Chanel couture in ‘91 is clearly a full-on skulk, and Claudia’s walk for the same designer in ‘95 reflected the playfulness of the clothes. Can you imagine half these new ladies actually smiling on a catwalk? Cara Delevingne’s total immersion of her true self into her work is reminiscent of why these models were capital-S SUPER, and what makes her great, as well. Naomi’s straightfaced glide for Donna Karan Spring ‘97, and Cindy’s little smirk for Oldham in 1996 clinch it. Let us all channel the attitude these women gave—and give—every damn day.
