Is the Supermodel Dead?!?
It is 1991.
You’re sitting in the front row of the Versace Fall runway show.
You glance away for a second, inspecting the venue, but are pulled back by the booming waves of George Michael’s song “Freedom.”
A wonder of red on black on yellow on black, your eyes widen at the sight of four goddesses strutting towards you:
Linda Evangelista
Christy Turlington
Naomi Campbell
Cindy Crawford.
And they’re all singing. And they’re all smiling. And your life is changed.
All you can do is sit and stare as the chills travel from the top of your head to the soles of your feet — gagged.
This was the 90’s, the era of supermodels: a world where Kate Moss snorted and Shalom Harlow swayed, each action dictating every trend and every motion of the world.
(The queens walking to “Freedom”)
But, everyone is wondering…
Where have they gone?
In recent years, some have argued that the entire concept of the “supermodel” has died, disappeared, disintegrated. After our lovely Brazilian bombshell Gisele Bündchen — and her dazzling double-Ds — graced the world's TV screens, magazine covers, and billboards, the fashion community cannot seem to settle the debate of whether or not another model has quite seized the world with her smize in the same way. Some point to the birth of social media: it normalizes the speedy spread of trends, promotes easy exposure of new faces, and (maybe most importantly) takes away from the mystique of it all.
Nevertheless, the ultimate question remains…
What makes a supermodel?
In order to understand the supermodel, one must transport into the past, the birth of the first supermodel: Philadelphia native Gia Carangi was discovered by a local photographer who spotted her dancing on a night out. Having done some shoots and appearing in a few local newspapers, Gia moved to New York at 17 to formally begin her iconic career. She signed to Wilhelmina Cooper and was set in the industry, Gia blew everyone away with her spunk and rebellious nature; it was this that set her apart from the rest of the taller, blonder, blander girls of the time—this is what made her so “super.”
(THE Gia Carangi… sexy af)
Along with her fresh face and atypical personality was scandal and drama surrounding her personal life. Her lesbian tendencies (so relatable), spiraling drug addiction (not so relatable), and IDGAF vibe (we’ve returned to relatable) gave her the spotlight…or limelight? But, whether the attention was good or bad, at the end of the day, it made her a star.
Some could say, Queen Gia became the blueprint of supermodels to come. The whole grungy, druggy archetype can be seen in household names like Kunty-Kate and Nasty-Naomi.
Drugs, Sex, Drama, and Glamor.
That’s what being a supermodel was all about. And, on top of it all, they seemed to all have variants of the same origin story: discovered at a mall with their mom, found in an airport after a family vacation, spotted from a crowd during an after-school gathering. Marvelous; marvelously improbable. Their lives seemed so insane, their realities so untouchable, that they could only be categorized as a superior type of human, towering above the rest of us normies.
(Oh Kate, so messy)
So…
What happened?
What’s the first name that comes to mind when asked about a modern-day supermodel?
Let me guess: Bella Hadid.
An icon for sure. A supermodel?…debated by the pretentious.
When looking back at the blueprint previously laid out, does she really fit the mold? Do any of them?
Kendall “Cucumber” Jenner?
Gigi “Zayn Malik Baby Momma” Hadid?
Lila “Shorter Than Kate” Moss?
And, of course, one cannot ignore the obvious.
What are they all? Let’s say it together guys… NEPOTISM!!!
It seems to be that, in the current economic state of the world, the only way to make it in the modeling industry is to already have been born with some sort of connection.
(Some of my fave nepos!!!)
Thus, a conundrum is presented: does any of this really take away from the label of “supermodel” or are we as a people desperately holding on to an image of the past that has long gone?
Let me present you with a thought (I know I was a hater in that last bit, but it was only to promote intellectual discourse): supermodels aren’t dead, the definition has just changed.
Ignoring the fluff and the romance, what are supermodels at the end of the day?
They are trendsetters. They are gorgeous women who dominate culture, who rule the fashion industry. Not only are they the beauty standard, but they also set the bar for general lifestyle. They are strong, hard working people to look up to and strive to be. Obviously, there is much less scandal and chaos than before, but that is a given with the passing of time and the changing of generations. But, maybe that’s a good thing; instead of wanting to be 12 shots deep in a dark club, doing God-knows-what in shady bathroom stalls, young girls scroll on Instagram and see models doing community outreach, spreading awareness, and promoting self-love.
It is 2023.
You’re laying in bed, swiping through endless TikTok videos.
Your thumb pauses as an image of Bella Hadid in nothing but a thong appears on the screen.
“Coperni SS23” is written in the bio.
Your mouth falls a little bit open as ethereal music floods your ears; your eyes slightly widen at the sight of a white dress being sprayed on her body.
All you can do is sit and stare as the chills travel from the top of your head to the soles of your feet — gagged.
(Miss Bella “Kin Euphorics-Horse girl-Goddess” Hadid)
The supermodel is NOT dead.
