The term “Supermodel” truly found its meaning in the early 1990s. It described a new kind of model : women who transcended fashion to become global icons, equally at home on a runway, a magazine cover, or a movie screen. They didn’t just wear the clothes; they embodied the era and were instantly and globally recognizable by first name alone.

Before this shift, fashion was already filled with celebrated top models walking for the most prestigious houses and gracing the pages of leading magazines. But as the ’90s began, a select few rose above the rest. They were no longer just the faces of fashion; they became its voices. Invited to speak on talk shows, host major events, and appear alongside the biggest names in film and music, they redefined fame itself, turning the model into the supermodel.

“You looked at them not because of what they were wearing but because of who they were” said Anna Wintour about the Supermodels

Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Claudia Schiffer, a constellation of women who ruled fashion’s golden age. Each one representeing a different facet of beauty :

Together, they didn’t just define the supermodel era, they made it unforgettable.

The cover that launched them together as a group of top models and started an avalanche of stardom.

Iconic photographer Peter Lindbergh had been asked to do a cover to represent the new woman of the 90s; Peter’s reply was that he “couldn’t do it with just one woman”. The idea of beauty had broadened; it could not be summed up with “either a blonde, blue-eyed girl or a sexy brunette”, he told her.

Coming out of the 80s which was all about big hair, exaggerated silhouettes and volume, bold colourful makeup and looks, Peter felt there was a change in the air and asked for some of the most famous models of the time to model with very little makeup, their own Levis jeans and poetic draped body suits by Georgio di Sant’Angelo in which we could see their real natural bodies. It added a sense of realism to fashion and changed the perception of “perfection”.

This cover unexpectedly garnered so much attention that it almost instantly changed the industry.

Immediately after the famous Vogue cover release, superstar singer George Michael approached the whole lot of them to star in his music video “Freedom”. It was the first time they were all on screen in the same project

In “Freedom! ’90”, the models replaced the singer himself who chose to take a backseat and only feature them, lip-syncing his lyrics in a raw, sultry, almost defiant way. In Fincher’s smoky, sensual frames, they turned rebellion into glamour and embodied 90s power and freedom.

George Michael’s music clip was such a hit that the following year, Gianni Versace made the model group simultaneously walk down the runway together to its soundtrack to close the show, receiving a standing ovation.

Their fun energy, lip-synching George Michael’s lyrics, dancing down the runway, arm in arm with a powerful feminine energy, wearing Versace’s glamorous contrasting vibrant colourful and black mini dresses, is recognised to mark the official debut of the Supermodel era.

Embodying the designer’s vision instead of simply walking with a neutral expression.

Another iconic moment by Gianni Versace was his 1994 show when he made all the top models all the time walk down the runway in gold close to the body draped shimmering dresses. At the end of the show, the supermodels all stood on a podium doing striking poses.

This moment was revived by his sister Donatella Versace as an hommage to him, with the original supermodels wearing similar golden dresses and walking down to the runway to the Freedom! ‘90 music, 23 years later, for her show in 2017.

Linda Evangelista announced this jokingly on an interview for the October issue of Vogue in 1990. This followed her through out her life and was received with huge backlash at the time with people being shocked and the start of movement called the “let them eat cake” stating the models were too big headed.

The style of the ’90s supermodels defined an entire decade, powerful, sensual, and effortlessly cool. Their fashion wasn’t just about clothes; it was about attitude.

They mastered contrasts: glamour and minimalism, sensuality and strength

On the runway, they wore body-hugging dresses, power blazers, and metallic minis that celebrated curves and confidence. Off-duty, their looks became the blueprint for “model-off-duty” style : white tank tops, high-waisted jeans, leather jackets, oversized blazers, and crisp shirts knotted at the waist. They made casual look magnetic.

90s supermodel fashion is also about playfulness and the confidence that goes with the clothes, about having the perfect fit and about knowing one’s body and how to enhance its unique features. With all of these elements, a powerful combo is undeniably created.

The hair of the ’90s supermodels was as iconic as their walks, full of volume, glamour, and attitude. It perfectly captured the decade’s blend of power and sensuality.

Think big, bouncy blowouts, super-glossy waves, and effortless movement that framed the face and caught the light on every turn of the runway.

There were also much more sleek hair styles contrasting with all the high volume in the hair of the others such as Naomi Campbell’s glossy, long, straight hair or Christy Turlington’s sculpted medium length hair, which carried a quiet sophistication.

And finally, let’s talk short hair with Linda Evangelista.

When she cut her hair in a sharp boyish way in 1988, it was a true fashion revolution. It transformed her into the industry’s ultimate muse and sparked a global wave of women cutting their hair short. Suddenly short hair was not just edgy but high fashion.

Linda proved that true style was not just about fitting in but becoming unforgettable. And that’s how she became “the chameleon” turning her hair into an instrument of reinvention, from fiery red to platinum blonde to dark brunette, each change shaping a new fashion moment.

90s makeup was glamorous with a touch of sophistication and was more refined and subtle than the previous 80s decade “more is more” makeup with heavy blush and bold neon colours.

The 90s makeup evolved into fresh, lightweight skin as well as defined cheek bones which characterized this era. The lip liner, often in nude and brown tones as well as a deeper red, was a little overdrawn but blended through the lip to create an undetectable finish.

Supermodel eye makeup consisted of eyeliner always and often a smokey eye with cool-toned browns and lighter neutral tones or blacks to enhance the eye shape.

I hope you enjoyed reading about 90s supermodels and how they rose into the icons they are now.

On social media, I create complimentary content where I share more about their style, how to recreate it, etc. If you’d like to check them out on Instagram or TikTok, my account is @jamilawilsonfashion.

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Have a beautiful week and keep being an icon ! 💋

Jamila xx