CHANEL AND THE RETURN OF THE ’90S SUPERMODEL
THE LEGENDS WHOSE STYLE DEFINED A DECADE AND GRACED THE WORLD’S RUNWAYS ARE BACK IN FASHION
here was a time when supermodels were so recognisable they didn’t even need a surname. Before Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Kaia Gerber, there was Naomi, Kate, Claudia, Helena and Cindy, who strutted for Karl Lagerfeld-era Chanel and Versace at the peak of Gianni Versace’s reign.
Known for their towering athletic frames and long, voluminous manes, the supermodels of the ’90s were not only “it” girls, they were major global stars.
Now, like ’90s fashion trends, the models whose style defined the decade are back in vogue. Recent catwalk shows at Milan and Paris either starred them or were inspired by the supermodel heyday, including Virginie Viard’s Chanel show which, as Vogue noted, featured a “sedate single-file défile” and “revived the showstopper elevated runways … lined with photographers”.
The models beamed like it was 1994, spinning and posing for cameras in Paris, “mirroring those shows from the ’80s and continuing into the 1990s where personalities lit up the room as much as the clothes”. Viard stated in the Chanel show notes: “I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows … I wanted to recapture that emotion”. Naomi Campbell, 51, Cindy Crawford, 55, Kate Moss, 47, and Claudia Schiffer, 51, have fronted new season shows and campaigns from Savage x Fenty to Versace, Fendi, Balmain and Lanvin, as well as Australian label Realisation Par.
“Today, there is no ageing out,” Schiffer recently said. “Models are working well into their 40s and beyond.” Speaking to Vogue, she added: “Before the ’90s, a model’s career would rarely last past her 30s.”
“With the era of supermodels, careers started to last longer, as we became powerful brands in our own right.
“It points to a culture shift and a more rounded vision of womanhood.”
And Schiffer’s influence is still being felt. Her recent capsule collection for Los Angeles-based Australian label Realisation Par was heavily influenced by outfits she wore in the ’90s – her image and signature even appears on two T-shirts, dubbed The Milkshake Tee ($79) and The Poolside Tee ($95).
“The range is … very much inspired by the ’90s and the kind of pieces I used to wear daily,” Schiffer said in an interview with Vogue.
“I looked into my archive collection and found silk slip dresses, daisy prints and a classic black and white microdot — these finds were the starting point.”
Realisation Par co-founder Teale Talbot said the Instagram-worthy brand was inspired by “the ’90s, the era of the supermodel”.
“They were our original ‘Dreamgirls’ who we looked up to,” Talbot told this writer.
“Claudia’s confidence mixed with her friendly girl-next-door attitude aligns with the essence of our brand. In terms of her style – Claudia’s sleek ’90s model off-duty look is matched with her effortless femininity which is at the DNA of Réalisation.”
Talbot said many styles in the 13-piece collection, titled “Claudia Schiffer”, had sold out after being worn by Schiffer’s supermodel friends including Crawford, Campbell, Valletta and Australian Elle Macpherson.
“The demand has been incredible. Most styles sold out within the first few days … with giant waitlists on restocks,” Talbot said.
So why is ’90s style – and supermodels of the decade – relevant again in 2021?
“Back in the ’90s it was new and exciting,” Talbot said.
“It was a select few in the elite that were known on a first-name-only basis.
“Now everyone can be seen to influence through their social media and the idea has been diluted.
“It’s all part of the cycle of fashion, something is always coming back around but there is a minimal chic part to the ’90s with an understated sexiness that we seem to be gravitating towards.”