32 Supermodels Whose Looks Were Era-Defining
Each left their stamp on the decade—or decades—they worked in.
Looking back, each decade boasted a reigning aesthetic: the mod trend of the '60s, the punk look of the '80s, the rise of grunge in the '90s, and so on. Some iconic supermodels who were popular with particular designers and major brands came to embody that aesthetic—in other words, they were the "face" of a particular look. You may not be as familiar with these models today, but they had enormous impacts on the decade(s) they were active. Below, 32 supermodels who defined fashion and beauty for their eras.
Mary Jane Russell
Technically, Mary Jane Russell started modeling in the late '40s, but she would establish prominence in the '50s. Her long neck and chiseled features were a perfect fit for that decade's elegant vibes, and she graced the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.
Janice Dickinson
You may know Janice Dickinson as a colorful media personality, but 1970s and 1980s, she was an immensely popular model. By the end of that latter decade, she had appeared on the cover of various international Vogues 37 times and had relationships with brands like Revlon and Christian Dior.
Lauren Hutton
There have been a number of famed models with gaps in their front teeth, but Lauren Hutton was one of the first—and her Revlon contract in 1973 was the most lucrative in modeling history. You may be more familiar with her acting work, including in American Gigolo.
Lara Stone
Dutch supermodel Lara Stone was discovered when she was a literal tween (age 12!). Coming to prominence in the '00s, she was deemed the "anti-model" by the New York Times because of her unusual features. When she was made the face of Prada's fragrance in 2010, her look began to be popular amongst other models hired for major campaigns.
Georgia Hamilton
Georgia Hamilton was a popular model in the '40s and '50s, gracing the cover of Life magazine in 1948 (it was just one of many covers and spreads she did). Her angular features and tiny waist meant that she was a natural fit for both editorial and advertisement modeling in those decades.
Naomi Sims
One of the first Black supermodels, Naomi Sims came to prominence in the '60s and '70s. She started working directly with photographers, had a breakthrough with a national ATT commercial, and was the first Black model to appear on the covers of Ladies' Home Journal and Life.
Suzy Parker
Drawing comparisons to Greta Garbo, Suzy Parker started modeling in her teens (appearing in Life at 15). At the zenith of her career in the mid-1950s, she was apparently the first model to start making $100,000 per year, including work she did for Revlon.
Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová's biggest career moment was her breakout: a Wonderbra ad that featured her in a black bra with the caption, "Hello Boys." The billboard apparently made drivers distracted enough to crash—but it also kicked off a prolific modeling career for her.
Karen Mulder
Dutch model Karen Mulder worked in the '80s and '90s and was impressively active during that time, including a cover on American Vogue and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She was also one of the very first Victoria's Secret Angels and helped define their early aesthetic.
Karen Graham
The exclusive spokesmodel of Estée Lauder for 15 years and the first model to win a beauty contract, Karen Graham was also featured on the cover of American Vogue 20 times in the early-to-mid-70s. (She was not IDed in the photos so people actually thought her name was Estée Lauder!)
Dovima
Proof that models being known mononymously is not a new invention, Dovima became one of the most highly paid models of her day—which was only about $60 an hour in the '50s. A photo of her by Richard Avedon, Dovima With Elephants, is considered one of the most iconic photos ever taken and a work of art.
Beverly Johnson
You may be familiar with Beverly Johnson as an actor, including in Crossroads and The Meteor Man. But she was also a highly influential model and the first Black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974. She literally changed the fashion industry's stance on inclusion.
Gia Carangi
Gia Carangi lived a tragically short life and would pass away at age 26 of AIDS-related complications. She was considered one of the greatest supermodels of the '80s, including work with Vogue and campaigns for Dior and Armani. (Her story would later be told in the Angelina Jolie-led movie Gia).
Cheryl Tiegs
If you are familiar with the history of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, you'll be familiar with Cheryl Tiegs—she graced the cover many times in the '70s and '80s. There's a poster of her wearing a pink bikini from 1978 that, in the words of SI, "found a home on the wall of just about every adolescent boy living in America in the 1970s."
Sondra Peterson
In the '50s and '60s, Sondra Peterson was considered a major top model, and was contemporaries with the likes of Jean Shrimpton. Her look was so covetable that in May 1960, Seventeen featured her as a part of their model series: she appeared on the cover with an accompanying article titled, "How to Look Like Sondra Peterson."
Karen Alexander
Karen Alexander started her career in the late '80s, and—despite facing racism in the industry at the time—nevertheless had a fruitful career. She was one of the first Black models featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and became one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People."
Carol Alt
In the 1980s, Carol Alt appeared on more than 500(!) magazine covers, including American Vogue, Elle, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and Cosmopolitan. Life magazine referred to her as "The Face," and her ad work included Cover Girl, Givenchy, and Diet Pepsi.
Shalom Harlow
Shalom Harlow achieved major prominence in the '90s alongside other supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. She was particularly well known for having a "look" that worked for commercial and couture work, and she won Vogue/VH1's Model of the Year award in 1995.
Paulina Porizkova
Hailing from Czechoslovakia, Paulina Porizkova was the first Central European woman to grace the cover of the Swimsuit Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She also signed a $6-million deal with Estee Lauder in 1988, which was the biggest modeling contract to date.
Evelyn Tripp
Evelyn Tripp had her breakout in 1949 with a Vogue cover and appeared on 40 magazine covers over the course of her career in the '50s and '60s. Like others on this list, the sharp angularity of features (in her case, some very high cheekbones, high forehead, and prominent chin) were a draw during this time period.
Liu Wen
Sometimes referred to as China's first supermodel, Liu Wen was the first Chinese model to walk the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the second Chinese model to make the cover of American Vogue, and the first East Asian Estée Lauder cosmetics spokesmodel. Her work has been prolific, yet still lots of people haven't heard of her.
Amber Valletta
A contemporary of Shalom Harlow (as well as other "supers" like Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, and others in the '90s), Amber Valletta had 17 American Vogue covers. Worth noting: she and Harlow also hosted MTV’s House of Style, and she subsequently turned to acting.
Liya Kebede
The Ethiopian model (who graced the cover of Vogue 20 times) was an important presence in the early- to mid-'00s. Specifically, in 2002, Vogue Paris devoted a whole issue to her, and then in 2003 she became the first Black spokesmodel for Estée Lauder.
Christie Brinkley
You may be more familiar with Christie Brinkley for her appearances in Billy Joel's music videos (as well as the fact that she was, you know, married to him). But her modeling career shouldn't be discounted, from her 500 magazine covers to her three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers.
Kathy Ireland
Kathy Ireland was huge in the '80s and '90s: she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 1989...and it was one of their best-selling magazines (the publication later called it "The Greatest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Of All Time"). She actually appeared in 13 consecutive swimsuit issues, and also acted during this time.
Jourdan Dunn
British model Jourdan Dunn was discovered in the '00s, and her career peaked in the '10s. In 2008, she became the first Black model in more than a decade to walk the Prada runway, and in 2014 she was signed to Maybelline New York as their new spokesmodel.
Linda Evangelista
You've likely heard of Linda Evangelista (she was one of the "Big Six" models in the '90s and she famously said she and her model pals "don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day."). But what goes unexplored is how chameleon-like she was and how adaptable she could be to different modeling jobs—as well as how successful she was, including a $7.75 million contract with Yardley of London.
Jean Shrimpton
The '60s are probably most well-known, from a modeling perspective, for the aesthetics of Twiggy and Jane Birkin. But Jean Shrimpton was just as influential (and just as defining for the decade), and was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential fashion icons ever.
Iman
You've likely seen her more recently on the red carpet with her spouse, the late David Bowie, but Somali-born Iman was aactually a top model in the '70s and '80s and a muse for icons including Calvin Klein and Gianni Versace. Her career peaked in the '80s, and she started her own cosmetics line in the '90s after she retired.
Jean Patchett
Jean Patchett was a major model in the '40s and '50s, and is said to have essentially defined this era of modeling with her cool, "remote" attitude. She had two major Vogue covers in 1950 and 40 magazine covers over the course of her career, as well as major ad work including for Revlon.
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields is probably most well-known for her time as an actor, but she was the youngest model to appear on the cover of Vogue in 1980 (she was 14). More Vogue covers would follow and some highly popular (and quite controversial) Calvin Klein ads.
Tyra Banks
Okay, so you've likely heard of Tyra Banks thanks to America’s Next Top Model. But let's not forget how influential she was. Banks was a Victoria's Secret Angel, the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and VH1 voted her "The Supermodel of the Year" in 1997.
