Youth has long been celebrated as the epitome of beauty but, in the last few weeks, that very notion has been challenged by several spectacular catwalk appearances. From Marc Cain's 50th anniversary celebrations in Germany to New York Fashion Week, the original supermodels have been out in force, reminding us all of their sheer star power.
The most famous super gang is undoubtedly the one which includes Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, all of whom have been very busy of late. The quartet appear on the September cover of British Vogue, a reunion which will become a seminal moment in fashion history. Then, Naomi unveiled her high street collab at New York Fashion Week, Christy closed the Ralph Lauren show in a phenomenal gold lamé gown and Linda can be seen fronting Steven Meisel's new collection for Zara. And last night at Vogue World, an event held in London, the four came together once more to storm the runway.
This all comes ahead of the release of The Super Models, a documentary landing on Apple TV+ on September 20th. It will examine the incredible careers of all four supers, as well as their lives outside of the fashion industry. According to a press release, 'As the fashion industry continues to redefine itself – and women’s roles within it – this is the ultimate story of power and how four women came together to claim it, paving the way for those to follow.'
It's interesting that, despite some models achieving incredible fame and success since the '90s heydey of Naomi, Christy, Linda and Cindy (not to mention Claudia, Kate and Helena), nobody has piqued the public interest in quite the same way. They represented a return to glamour and coincided with a time when women's roles were being re-evaluated; reflected in some of the most prominent popular culture of the time, such as the Spice Girls and Sex and the City.
And while these women clearly don't represent the average vision of middle-age, it is refreshing to see fashion celebrating women in their 50s: Naomi is 53, Christy is 54, while Cindy is 57 and Linda is 58. Where once we wouldn't have even seen a woman on the cover of Vogue past, say, 35, how brilliant to see women nearing 60 being fêted for their beauty, yes, but also their power.
Similarly, while slightly younger than her predecessors at just 39 years old, Karolina Kurkova was a very welcome presence on the Marc Cain runway to celebrate the German brand's 50th anniversary. Opening the show in a leopard print mini dress, she reminded the audience why Anna Wintour once called her the 'next supermodel'.
She then closed the show in a glittering gold gown – much like Christy at Ralph Lauren – walking alongside Helmut Schlotterer, Marc Cain's founder, owner and managing director. Celebrities including Diane Kruger and Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer watched on, all dressed – naturally – in Marc Cain.
As London Fashion Week gets underway, to be closely followed by Milan and Paris, we'll have to wait to see if yet more catwalks are dominated by the older generation of supermodels. But it wouldn't be surprising – years after they exploded onto the scene, they can still inspire a reaction that not even the Gigis and Bellas of this world seem to elicit.