Will We Ever Get a '90s Supermodel Era EVER Again?

Before the dawn of plastic surgery, there was a thing called 'natural beauties'

(Photo: Getty Images) Megawatt smiles on supermodel icons: Naomi, Claudia, Elle, and Christy

When I think of what the archetype for the perfect woman is suppose to look like, my mind instantly goes to the iconic supermodels of the '90s. You have your Cindy, Claudia, Christy, Naomi, Kate, Linda, Helena...and the list goes on. Young girls plucked from obscurity, scouted in their hometowns by modeling agents who saw incredible potential in them. Before the days of social media, plastic surgery, and nepo babies, these women ruled the runways with their long, loooong legs, photogenic features, slender build, and unwavering confidence.

A LOOK BACK AT THE DEFINITION OF 'SUPER'

So what's the actual formula for these real-life Barbies? Is it about the looks? The body? Or something within? Stop for a moment and think back to the very first time you flipped through a fashion magazine. Was there a particular cover or advertisement that drew you in? If the answer is yes, that’s exactly what a supermodel was hired to do. From commanding million-dollar contracts to achieving international fame and notoriety, these women knew how to do their job — and did it damn well. Selling everything from drugstore makeup to designer perfumes, this elite group of models set the bar HIGH.

(Photo: Vogue, April 1992) Vogue’s 100th Anniversary Cover

Clockwise from top: Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Karen Mulder, Elaine Irwin, Niki Taylor, Yasmeen Ghauri, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and, center, Tatjana Patitz

BEAUTY, FAME & SUPER FRIENDSHIPS

What stood out to me most was the strong bonds of friendship formed in an industry typically marked by competition. On a Friday night in New York City, you could find the leggy crew flanked in a nightclub, champagne glass in hand, smiling wide for the cameras because, you know... being young, rich, and beautiful was something to celebrate. Naomi was also known for protecting a younger Kate during her early modeling career, and later, she, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer opened a short-lived (and ill-fated) restaurant called the Fashion Café.

Photo: Rex Features / Glamour Magazine

Photo: Getty Images

AN ERA, ONCE ONLY AND NEVERMORE?

And while these supermodels set really high beauty standards, they weren't at all unnatural, they were aspirational. Young girls looked up to these powerful and strong women as role models rather than idols because they all had geeky moments of growing up like the rest of us. Which begs the question...will there ever be another lifetime of '90s-esque models as uniquely beautiful yet almost cookie-cutter versions of one another? The answer: highly unlikely. The supermodels of the '90s were ultimately a cultural phenomenon of that time — the same way the '60s had Woodstock and the '00s had Britney Spears and pop music. Something special to come out of that decade and one we will probably never witness ever again.