Are Gigi and Kendall Supermodels? 14 Models Who Have Earned the Title
Lately, it seems that every top model with some name recognition is awarded the title of supermodel. The word is so overused it has almost lost its meaning. But when the fashion bible, Vogue, recently declared Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid to be supermodels, people took notice. Vogue’s reasoning was that the besties have walked the runways of top luxury houses like Chanel, been photographed by the likes of Patrick Demarchelier and Steven Meisel, appeared on the covers of international editions of Vogue, and have unparalleled celebrity. Their fame dwarfs the name recognition and fan bases of other top models like Karlie Kloss (to whom Vogue did not award the title).
But hold up. This fall, the New York Times interviewed Christy Turlington and Kloss for a piece entitled “Supermodels Then and Now.” So Kloss already holds the title, according to the Paper of Record. Plus, this week, MTV.com weighed in, declaring 2015 the year that Hadid (but not her peers) became a supermodel. “There are, of course, other huge names in modeling right now — Kendall Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, to name a few — but none of them are pulling from and redefining the Supers’ playbook in quite the same way as Gigi,” the site said.
So, who really deserves the supermodel title? And is it really even a relevant term anymore? The subject was hotly debated at Yahoo Beauty this week, so we decided to create our own list of the ultimate, unquestionable, all-time supermodels.
First, we had to clarify the definition. From our perspective, a supermodel starts as a model, then, by sheer force of her personality, looks, and talent, crosses over to be a major success in other spheres, such as movies, TV, advertising, branding, or hosting. Ultimately, a supermodel is known way beyond the elitist confines of the fashion world where she started.
By that definition, we decided that ‘60s sensation Twiggy was the first supermodel. She’s still going strong 50 years after she burst on the scene, landing a L’Oréal contract just this year. In the ‘80s, Christie Brinkley led the way in defining the “strong is sexy” look of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and venturing into acting and writing. The supermodel phenomenon hit its stride in the early ‘90s when models like Helena Christensen, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford ruled fashion, beauty, TV, movies, and gossip columns. Gisele Bündchen, Kate Moss, Heidi Klum, and Tyra Banks ruled the millennium, earning millions upon millions and proving models could be smart businesswomen too. Bündchen is still the top-earning model, bringing in $44 million this year, according to Forbes.
So, what about the new crop of models? While Doutzen Kroes and Natalia Vodianova are Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, on the Forbes list of top-earning models of 2015, they don’t have huge name recognition. Cara Delevingne has broken out into film, starring recently in Paper Towns, but while she’s been hailed as the next Moss, she hasn’t reached supermodel status yet. Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima reached a fever pitch as Victoria’s Secret Angels, but they haven’t fully broken out into the mainstream.
The biggest debate at Yahoo Beauty was around Kloss, Jenner, and Hadid. While a few thought Kloss had earned the supermodel title with her $5 million salary, contracts with big brands like L’Oréal, and high-profile membership in Taylor Swift’s girl squad, she is still on the cusp of being a household name. As for Hadid, our staffers under 25 declared her a supermodel with big-name contracts (Tommy Hilfiger was announced today) and a game-changing deal with Victoria’s Secret this year. But the overwhelming vote was that Hadid and Jenner are still at early stages on their road to supermodel-dom.
It’s worth noting that Hadid and Jenner didn’t start as models, unlike all the other women on our list. They got their fame and followers from reality television. And while there’s nothing bad about that, their path to fame is almost reverse, with a crossover pop culture success that they then used as a springboard into modeling. Supermodels in the making? Most likely. But the supermodels on our list have had success that has lasted years and years. We can’t wait to see who the next generation really is, and that will take some time.
Related:
Why Cindy Crawford Won’t Ever Let Herself Go
Gigi Hadid Responds to the Haters: ‘I Love That I Can Be Sexy. I Am Proud Of It.’
The Hot Seat: Kendall Jenner Backstage At The Victoria’s Secret Show [Video]
