TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang

I don’t want to spend my fifties trying to get back to where I was in my thirties – Cindy Crawford

1991年 Versace 秋冬大秀中，邀請四位傳奇超模於秀場中演唱 Freedom! ’90，像是在宣告90年代是屬於超模的時代。在那些轟轟烈烈的歲月裡，才華洋溢設計師們與傳奇超模們的驚艷瞬間一同打造了時代的印記，至今依然反覆被歌頌致敬著，這是一個時代的標誌，定義了整個時代的時尚美學。

At Versace’s Fall 1991 show, four legendary supermodels did a performance of George Michael’s Freedom! ’90 together, as if making a statement that the ’90s was a decade that belonged to “Supers.” In those sensational years, talented designers worked alongside legendary supermodels to create iconic moments that are still admired even till now. They are emblems of an unforgettable era that defined the beauty of fashion. 

舞台主場

Off-White 2022 秋冬大秀致敬已逝的設計師 Virgil Abloh，在第三部曲的秀場環節當中，新生代超模 Bella Hadid 緩緩走出，在眾多新生代超模包含 Gigi Hadid、Kendall Jenner、Kaia Gerber 接連的出場下，更令人驚喜的是 90 年代傳奇超模 Naomi Campbell、Cindy Crawford、Helena Christensen 以及 Amber Valletta，「維密天使」Karlie Kloss 和 Candice Swanepoel 都一起登上了Off-White 2022秋冬大秀，兩代同堂的大盛況全是為了 Virgil Abloh 而來。他們的出現不僅讓人緬懷曾經的傳奇逝去，更是令人憶起90年代生動鮮活、難以忘懷的身影。

那個時期孕育著許多才華洋溢的時裝設計師，與表現力高超的超模們一同創造了至今依然經典的瞬間，90年代的的秀場伸展台上是活潑與自信的主場，每個模特拋開束縛感，在舞台上優雅自若又漫不經心，妖嬈動人的台步與生動的感染力是90年代下最刻骨銘心的畫面，接而定義了那個時代下的時尚美學。現在的時裝週再也看不到這些生動有趣、妖嬈嫵媚的模特們演繹服裝，時代審美在變化，加上女性意識的崛起，模特兒們以冷漠的形式展現女人強勢的力量感，而「面無表情」的這個做法，也讓觀賞者更加注重的是「服裝」而非模特的本身魅力，現在模特兒們更趨近於一塊白色畫布，容設計師們恣意揮灑，打造成他們想要的樣子。這也不禁讓人感嘆曾經的超模時代以一去不復返。

Big5

說到90 超模時代，除了秀場中生動的表現力外，台步功力也相當驚人，像是「Big5」五名最吸金的超模黑珍珠 Naomi Campbell 就以鼎鼎大名的貓步為成名作，就連新生代超模 Gigi Hadid 也請教過 Naomi 的台步，除此之外 Naomi Campbell 更是歷史上第一位登上《TIME》雜誌、第二位登上英國版《Vogue》和第一位登上法國《Vogue》封面的黑人模特。90年代時期的模特兒們更像是名人般的存在，他們不僅僅只是走秀，還包辦了代言人、拍攝廣告、拍攝音樂錄影帶、拍攝雜誌封面等等，因此得到了另外一位「Big5」超模 Linda Evangelista 的至理名言：「I don’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day.」（如果一天沒有1萬美金，我絕不工作)。90年代確實由這些模特兒稱霸，「Big5」也包含了傳奇超模Claudia Schiffer、Cindy Crawford 以及Christy Turlington，Claudia 為第一個穿上 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Fantasy Bra 的超模 ，他也曾被評選為「世界上最美麗的女人」，更一眼被老佛爺卡爾拉格斐 Karl Lagerfeld 相中，成為 Chanel 年度代言人。其後揚名的還有Kate Moss、Gisele Bündchen 等等，模特兒風於當時可謂風靡全球，Kate Moss 是在90年代超模始祖「Big5」後，以顛覆當時審美主流而脫穎而出，他消瘦、病態、慵懶的外型，讓眾人感受到另外一種獨特美感，正因為他不凡的氣質，讓設計師Calvin Klein、John Galliano頻頻邀請他登台走秀，成為90年代下獨特的審美風格。 Gisele Bündchen 則是在「紙片人」病態美的風潮過後，以健康小麥古銅膚色、主流審美下的臉孔與凹凸有致且豐滿的身材，重新定義了性感形象，他那豪邁有力的「Horse Walk」更是成為他難以被超越的無限姿態，也被超模 Claudia Schiffer 定義為「最後一個超模」。

風格永存

沉寂了一段時光，VERSACE 2018 春夏時裝秀為品牌創始人 Gianni Versace 逝世的20週年，品牌特別邀請了90年代的五位超模，包含Cindy Crawford、Naomi Campbell、Claudia Schiffer和Carla Bruni 以及Helena Christensen 重現往日時光。 就算是時間不停地前行，他們創造的傳奇至今依然無人能取代，除了感念世代流逝變化以外，或許於現代有更不凡的故事正在書寫，就如同伍迪艾倫電影《午夜·巴黎》故事中，不同時代蘊含著不同的情緒，每個角色都以為自己存在的時代很差勁，認為那些過往的年代才是最吸引人的，但卻忘了最重要的一點「不完美，或許就是完美故事。」維密超模 Stephanie Seymour 就曾於一次採訪中提到，他認為現今新生代Gigi Hadid、Kendall Jenner並不屬於真正的「超模」，「超模時代已成為了過去式，我仍然支持他們，他們都是漂亮女孩，應該要有屬於他們自己的封號。」如今已光榮退役的超模 Cindy Crawford 兒女也都已初長成，繼承了他優秀的外型基因，於時尚圈風生水起。繼承母親 Cindy Crawford 風範的新銳超模 Kaia Gerber，就以完美的長腿比例走過各大時裝週，越來越習慣於鎂光燈下，走出屬於她的時尚風格。而退居幕後的傳奇超模  Linda Evangelista 於去年在社群網站中提及自己神隱5年因手術毀容的故事，他說道：「即使我看起來已經不是以前的那個自己，但也希望自己能抬頭挺胸的從家門走出去」這個宣示除了要面對已經面容不在的過去，更是要精彩、勇敢面對屬於現在的自己，此舉動不僅是替自己打氣，更是給了我們許多面對改變以及挫折與失落的勇氣，於時光飛逝的光陰中，依然活出自我，風格永存。

The Supers 

Paying tribute to the late designer Virgil Abloh, this year’s Off-White AW22 show opened with Bella Hadid, following Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Kaia Gerber. To everyone’s surprise, the original supermodels—Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen and Amber Valletta—and even Victoria’s Secret Angels Karlie Kloss and Candice Swanepoel made their appearance on stage. The reunion of the century hit the catwalk all in honor of Abloh’s legacy. Not only reminiscing about the passing of the legend, but their appearance also reminded us of the vivid and unforgettable figures of the ’90s. 

An era that celebrated the rise of so many creative talents, the ’90s presented runways as a homecourt for confidence and energy. Every model walked without restraint and dominated the stage with elegance, ease, seduction and a unique vitality that was infectious. These iconic moments defined fashion of the nineties. Nowadays, we no longer see these playful, charming catwalks during Fashion Week anymore. As beauty standards are changing and feminism rising, models walk with a sense of aloof to showcase the strength in femininity. The expressionless approach is also to divert the audience’s attention away from the model’s personal charm and towards the garments they are wearing. Models nowadays have become more like canvases, allowing designers to create the look they want, a subtle transformation that makes us lament for the supermodel era that has become the past. 

The Big Five

Speaking of the original ’90 supermodels, one has to mention the Big Five who ruled the fashion shows with their exceptional performances and top-notch catwalks. Known for her attitude-driven, powerful strut, Naomi Campbell was the one who coached Gigi Hadid on her runway walk. The legend was also the first black model to grace the covers of TIME magazine and French Vogue and the second for British Vogue. Models during the ’90s were more than just models,they were celebrities who took on endorsements, advertising, cover shoots and even participated in music videos. Which is why Linda Evangelista, another one of the Big Five, once said, “I don’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day.” The other “Supers” of the Big Five included Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington. Named one of the most beautiful women in the world, Claudia Schiffer was the first supermodel to be wearing the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Fantasy Bra. She was even personally selected by Karl Lagerfeld to become the new face of Chanel back in 1990. After the Big Five came iconic supermodels like Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen and more. Stood out with her more natural look, street style and slight build, Kate Moss was known as an “anti-supermodel.” Her distinctive beauty attracted the attention of creative designers like Calvin Klein and John Galliano who constantly invited her to walk for their fashion shows. Later on, Gisele Bündchen ended the modeling era of skinny bodies and redefined the term sexy with her healthy, tanned skin tone and curvy look. Her powerful “Horse Walk” became a signature catwalk that could not be surpassed, earning her the name “the last remaining true supermodel” by her predecessor Claudia Schiffer.

Next Generation Models

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Gianni Versace’s passing, Versace invited supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Helena Christensen to walk for its SS18 fashion show. Even as time goes on, the legend they’ve created is preserved in time. Like Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris, each era has its own story and it’s common for us to find history appealing as we are often unsatisfied with our current situation. But we tend to forget imperfection may as well be the most perfect story we are looking for. In an interview, Victoria’s Secret Angel Stephanie Seymour once said she didn’t think Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner should be considered as supermodels, but in a good way. “Supermodels are sort of the thing of the past. They deserve their own title. [Kendall and Gigi] are beautiful girls, and I support all of them, but they need their own title.” Retired from full-time modeling in 2000, Cindy Crawford had passed on her legacy to her son and daughter, who both inherited her amazing genes and had become rising stars in the modeling industry. With her mile-long legs, Kaia Gerber had already become a familiar face at major fashion shows around the world. Meanwhile, another retired legend Linda Evangelista decided to speak up after going into hiding for five years due to a failed cosmetic procedure. “I would like to walk out my door with my head held high, despite not looking like myself any longer.” Her brave statement serves as a wakeup call for us to face our past imperfections and to learn to accept our true self with courage and an open heart. Even in the face of passing time, we can live our best lives and show the world our most unique style with confidence and tenacity.