An ode to supermodels Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista

It made perfect sense for Cindy, Christy, Naomi and Linda to be chosen for the cover of Vogue’s prestigious September issue. Now in their 50s, they look as impossibly glamorous as ever, and I am in no doubt the documentary will not only delight long-term fans of the supermodels but will hopefully attract a new generation to their charms.

One thing I would point out however is that Vogue could have chosen a much more creative cover to showcase the supermodels than the one they opted for. It would seem that many are in agreement with me. One Twitter user said: "The magazine's cover direction resembles a mournful elegy, a far cry from its glory days."

However, less about the negative vibes and more about the new series about supermodels.

Vogue reports that the new Apple TV+ series on supermodels “paints in both broad and fine strokes a picture of the style community in the late ‘80s to mid-’90s when high fashion went from a niche hobby for aspirational clothes hounds to a pillar of mainstream entertainment standing alongside film, television and music.”

I know that there are some who would baulk at the idea of being excited by supermodels, but just as I was inspired growing up by my favourite novelists Jane Austen and George Elliot, I think I was able to strike the right balance between my literary role models and ones that I associated with entertainment in the same way today’s generation look up to the likes of Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift. 

Supermodels were called supermodels for a reason and believe me the likes of Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista achieved a tremendous amount more than just looking ‘pretty’ and I am prepared to challenge anyone who thinks differently!

To a certain extent, it upsets me that Cindy Crawford is now known more for being the mother of Kaia Gerber, rather than being a highly successful woman in her own right. If you need more convincing when it comes to her success, Forbes ran an article in 2021 about how she became the world’s richest supermodel. 

Forbes revealed that “Her fortune is worth $225 million, Forbes estimates, “thanks to her ability to perfect a direct-to-consumer beauty model that has since been repurposed by the likes of Jenner, Emily Weiss of Glossier and Rihanna.” The article also states that “Thanks to a 50% stake in skincare line Meaningful Beauty, Crawford is one of America’s 100 wealthiest self-made women. 

Christy Turlington has also proved why she was worthy of being called a ‘supermodel’ and should be lauded for so much more than her photogenic looks. In 2010, she founded Every Mother Counts, which came after the release of her documentary film, No Woman, No Cry. 

On the Every Mother Counts website it explains that “After experiencing her own childbirth complication, Christy learned that hundreds of thousands of women were dying every year because they do not have access to the maternity care that they need. She then dedicated her work to understanding the challenges of and opportunities for improving access to maternity care around the world.”

Supermodel Naomi Campbell is now known as Dr Campbell after receiving an honorary doctorate in 2022 at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA). In 2022, The President & Vice-Chancellor of UCA, Professor Bashir Makhoul said that “Having fronted the covers of thousands of magazines and featured in advertising campaigns for celebrated global brands, Naomi Campbell is a fashion icon who is a real inspiration for our graduating students.”

Although I have read countless articles over the years about Naomi being ‘late’ for interviews and shoots over the years, I am more interested in focusing on her strengths as a woman and what a pioneer she has been. She was not only the first black model to be featured on the cover of Time, but she's also the first black woman to be featured on the cover of French Vogue, far from small achievements!

As for Linda Evangelista, unfortunately for this supermodel, she has been living a more reclusive life in recent years because of the trauma she went through after undergoing a fat-freezing procedure that left her disfigured. In 2022 she told People that “I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know.” People revealed that the supermodel Linda “opens up about the emotional and physical pain that has cast a shadow on her life in recent years after she claims CoolSculpting- a popular FDA-cleared ‘fat-freezing’ procedure that’s been promoted as a non-invasive alternative to liposuction-left her ‘permanently deformed ‘ and ‘brutally disfigured.’

Hopefully for Linda, with the September Vogue cover and forthcoming documentary, things are on the way up for the supermodel. She is set to be in London on September 17 2023 for an event to celebrate the release of her first book entitled ‘An Audience with Linda Evangelista’ photographed by the legendary photographer Steven Meisel.

Linda shared the September Vogue cover on Instagram and said: “Reunited for the joyous moment with Cindy, Christy and Naomi on the cover of September Vogue.”