Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

The Top Supermodels That Dominated Fashion in the '90s

The Top Supermodels That Dominated Fashion in the '90s

From Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell to Kate Moss, Alek Wek, and more, these are the names that ushered in the era of elegance.

“Enter the Era of Elegance,” read the cover line of Harper's BAZAAR's September 1992 issue, and it was models who represented this credo. From '80s powerhouses like Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford to newcomers like Kate Moss, Alek Wek, and Jenny Shimizu, these diverse beauties superseded the close, esoteric confines, stepping off the runway and onto the global stage.

A quote from Evangelista describes their ascendancy best. "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day," she famously quipped in 1990. Ahead, we've rounded up the top names that made bank, attracted headlines, and fully exemplified '90s supermodels with a capital S.



1 Linda Evangelista


Heralded as the ultimate chameleon, the Canadian supermodel went through the '90s changing her hairstyle and garnering headlines for doing so. From a black pixie cut to bright red bob to a platinum-blonde coif, Evangelista's looks season after season captured the attention of myriad designers, who made her the face of campaigns and the center piece of runway shows.



2 Naomi Campbell


Campbell is the queen of the catwalk. So much that Beyoncé immortalized her signature strut in "Get Me Bodied," encouraging listeners to "walk across the room like Naomi Campbell." And though this English beauty received a great amount success, her rise to the top was faced with adversities. She was often the only Black model in runway lineups, campaigns, and editorial shoots-a pervasive mindset that she has fought to overturn throughout her illustrious career.



3 Cindy Crawford


More than most, Crawford's renown in the '90s superseded the industry. She was-and still is-a cultural icon, starring in not just myriad fashion campaigns, but also in Pepsi commercials. Her appearance on the small screen, too, extended to hosting House of Style on MTV. With her distinct beauty mark, her face was plastered on billboards and advertisements. And now, her daughter, Kaia Gerber, is following in her famous footsteps.



4 Claudia Schiffer


Discovered in a nightclub in Düsseldorf, Germany, Schiffer-with her luscious blonde locks, smoky eyes, and plump pout-was touted as the second coming of Brigitte Bardot. Karl Lagerfeld was a fan, taking her under his wing and making her the face of Chanel-a distinction she received with other labels, including Guess. She would garner cover after cover, currently holding the record in the in the Guinness Book of World Records. And along with aforementioned models, Schiffer was a member of the Big Five.



5 Tatjana Patitz


In some cases, Patitz is the one who rounds up the Big Five. Born in Germany and raised in Sweden, the statuesque blonde with killer eyebrows fronted the campaigns of Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Revlon, Cartier, L'Oréal, and more. But she is perhaps best remembered for starring in the music video for George Michael's "Freedom! '90," along with Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista.



6 Kate Moss


Kate Moss's entry into the fashion industry was somewhat controversial. Discovered at an airport in London at 14 years old, her waiflike figure was a contrast to the Amazonian bodies that preceded her. Indeed, she was the poster child for the grunge style that pervaded a good part of the '90s-and her party-going lifestyle and string of famous relationships only heightened this reputation. Still, her name crossed industry barriers, becoming part of the pop culture lexicon.



7 Tyra Banks


From model to media mogul, Banks's career is a string of epic highs. She conquered her first runway season at Paris Fashion Week, booked editorial shoots in all the top glossies, signed lucrative contracts with CoverGirl and Victoria's Secret, and became the first Black model to front the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But it was her moves outside the industry that catapulted Banks to the upper echelons of fame. She starred in a number films and television shows, recorded music albums, founded charities, and created the behemoth America's Next Top Model, which has run for 24 cycles.



8 Heidi Klum


Like Banks, Klum parlayed her modeling success into other media ventures. The German beauty went from starring in campaigns for Marc Jacobs and spreads for Harper's BAZAAR to becoming the face of Victoria's Secret and appearing in films and television shows. Later on, she joined the judges table for America's Got Talent, Project Runway, and Making the Cut, which she also executive-produces. And if that isn't enough, the serial entrepreneur has an eponymous lingerie collection.



9 Kimora Lee Simmons


At the tender age of 13, Simmons was signed by Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, who regarded her as the "Face of the 21st Century." Brands like Fendi, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent also took notice. Then, after marrying entrepreneur Russell Simmons, she founded Baby Phat-eventually becoming the president of its parent company, Phat Farm, which amassed $265 million in profits in 2002. She also created the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund and is involved in a number of charities.



10 Carla Bruni Sarkozy


Sarkozy walked down her every major designer runway, appeared in endless fashion editorials, and fronted campaign after campaign. And though she wasn't overtly politically active during her heyday as a model, the Italian native was ushered into public affairs when she married President Nicolas Sarkozy and became France's First Lady. Since her husband left office, she has been cultivating her music career, releasing a number of lauded albums.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×