In the early to late 90s the Supermodels
ruled the runways. They were statuesque, sassy, wild and at the heart
of the fashion industry. No show was complete without Naomi, Linda,
Kate, Claudia, Helena, Eva, Christy or Cindy doing a turn up the catwalk
draped luxuriously in the latest designer creations of Versace, Armani,
Chanel, Westwood or YSL. Why were they loved so much? It was not only
their uncompromisingly beautiful faces, slender limbs and womanly figures
that made them stars, they were also glamour incarnate. They made clothes
look good and they inspired a generation of women to dress up, be independant
and take control. They had the poise and the attitude to carry off the
designers fantastical inventions. A supermodel could sell an image and
a lifestyle that made women want to buy it and when someone bought a
Versace gown they didn't just believe they got a dress, they believed
some of the Supers magic rubbed off on them.
Supermodels were taking over the world,
never far from the covers of magazines, Elle and Vogue, their appearances
being the difference between a good show and a spectacular one and leaving
everyone else in the dark. That was the problem. They overshadowed the
clothes they wore and the designers themselves seemed more like chaperones
than key players as they led their stars up the catwalk at the close
of their own shows. The fashion world became bored of these women who
commanded $10,000 a day to appear in campaigns or even as was famously
declared to 'get out of bed'. A Supermodel turn at a show would set
the designers back 25-35k. Nobody wanted to pay and there was an all
round sentiment of 'Have these girls got too big for their Prada boots.
Cut to 2002 and the Supers have had babies
(most recently Ms Moss) they've starred in car ads, brought out exercise
videos, tried their hands at music and novel writing, Who can forget
the Fashion Cafe? They've even been spotted on the Big Screen, all with
moderate or great success but they're all grown up now and there are
a new crop of models waiting to take their places. Sure the New breed
are Super skinny, quirky looking and almost dare i say it Girl-next-dooresque
but that's precisely why we should embrace the cult of the editorial
chick.
Designers can reclaim their creations as
the stars of their shows and fashionistas can look at models Alek Wek,
Devon Aoki and Nina Sarasalo believing that they could be one of us
or at least not be faced with the unattainable beauty the supers represent.
Post 9/11 Do we really need a return to
the glamour days of Supermodels? Is it really wise for the fashion world
or indeed the world at large to go backwards instead of forwards in
our ideals of what is beautiful in favour of seeking the kind of beauty
that only a small minority will ever possess?
It's time society left perfection alone
and embraced it's flaws. So is the Supermodel really history? Well like
it or not they're making a comeback. Let's just hope this time around
that they can share the limelight with their fellow models and designers,
leaving the clothes to be the talking point.
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