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The Eighties supermodels who are back in Vogue
Karen Dacre, Evening Standard26 Aug 2008
The veteran supermodels are back: two decades older but mysteriously unwrinkled, they are eclipsing rivals half their age this autumn.
An audit of the adverts in September's Vogue shows that almost all of the best fashion houses are choosing the legendary models of the Eighties and Nineties to front their autumn/winter campaigns.
Appearing in the magazine are Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Linda Evangelista: the same faces who put modelling on the map more than 20 years ago.
Today, 43-year-old Evangelista fronts the campaign for Italian label Prada. Her predecessor, Russian Sasha Pivovarova, 23, had appeared in six consecutive campaigns.
Chanel has also left young models by the wayside, enlisting Turlington to appear in an eyewear commercial.
Schiffer, 38 - barely recognisable in a dark brown wig - is the face of the mainline Chanel collection. Now a mother of two, she also appears in an advert for Italian shoe label Salvatore Ferragamo.
At the pinnacle of the supermodel renaissance is Campbell - not only has she bagged the holy grail of fashion jobs as the face of Yves Saint Laurent, she is Vogue's sweetheart, with the Brazilian and French editions of the magazine choosing her for their covers.
Campbell, 38, also appears on the cover of London fashion bible ID this month. Stefano Pilati, creative director for Yves Saint Laurent, called her an "untouchable power".
Recalling the heyday of the supermodel, Mr Pilati said: "They were 12 of the most amazing girls. Today there are beautiful girls more or less but they don't have that attitude."
The resurgence of the supermodel shows a change in direction for a fashion industry accustomed to using very thin and young girls to head big campaigns.
"It's not surprising when you consider where the spending power lies," says Simon Chambers, managing director of Storm Model Management, which represents Kate Moss.
"When it comes to fashion photography, these girls are the best there are. It's not surprising clients come back to them."
Reader views (1)
Too bad that I could not name a model who could be a true icon, a true "model" for young girls. Someone like Madonna can do it better.
- Mina Jade, Budapest, Hungary, 15/01/2009 11:51
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