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A supermodel is a highly-paid top fashion model who is known world-wide for consistent and concurrent modeling work in haute couture and commercial modeling, usually for top fashion designers and labels, such as Chanel, Prada, and Gucci. The term is customarily applied to female models by the media, but in the 1990s the term began to be applied to some male models. Supermodels may be referred to as sex symbols and are able to parlay their celebrity into product endorsement deals and acting careers at times.
Female supermodels
Origins of the term
The "rise" of the supermodel In the 1970s, some models became more prominent as their names became more recognizable to the general public. These models included Janice Dickinson, who claims to have coined the term "supermodel", Cheryl Tiegs, Iman Abdulmajid and Christie Brinkley. The prominence of supermodels increased in the 1980s, with models such as Claudia Schiffer, Paulina Porizkova, Elle Macpherson, and Cindy Crawford. By the 1990s, which has been called "era of the supermodels", supermodels were prominient in the media. During this period, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington were highly-visible models. Beverly Peele graced over 250 magazine covers and was first black model on the cover of Mademoiselle Magazine in 1989. In the 1990s, Kate Moss, a teenager with slim hips, prominent cheekbones, and small breasts, became a popular model. Moss's appearance came to be called the "waif" or "heroin chic" look, which was prominent during the later 1990s. The "end" of the supermodel era Since the mid-90s, those supermodels' popularity had faded. The decline of the supermodel era may be nigh, due to the increased use of actresses, pop singers, or other celebrities on the covers of fashion magazines and ad campaigns. A number of prominent models of the late 1990s and early 21st century are referred to as supermodels, including Laetitia Casta, Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Karolina Kurkova, Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, Liya Kebede, Carmen Kass and Stella Tennant. A new fashion icon rose in the 2000s. Gemma Ward's baby doll-like look inspired a new craze in fashion. Fashion designer Lazaro Hernandez tells Teen Vogue (Feb. 06), "She looked like no one else at the time. She was this alien, and fashion is always looking for newness." Her look became the popular new look among models. It has inspired a new generation of baby doll-like models such as Vlada Roslyakova, Heather Marks, Devon Aoki, Lisa Cant, Lily Cole and Jessica Stam. Right now, the industry's top working models include Gemma Ward, Daria Werbowy, Malgosia Bela, Julia Stegner, Iselin Steiro, Mariacarla Boscono, Isabeli Fontana, Omahyra Mota, Doutzen Kroes, Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, Jessica Stam, and Izabel Goulart. In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about the comeback of the "supermodel", with some of these top models in mind. Male supermodels During the 1990s, some male models were referred to as supermodels, such as Marcus Schenkenberg, Andrew Stetson, James Neate, Tyson Beckford, Mark Vanderloo, Alex Lundqvist, Michael Bergin, Gabriel Aubry, Will Chalker and Rusty Joiner. See also | ||||||||||||
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