Have you ever wondered what happened to Twiggy, Brooke Shields, Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer? Luckily, we’re here to bring you the most famous supermodels and one or two you may have forgotten about. From London’s Swinging Sixties “It Girls” through feathery-haired 1970s and ’80s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models to Victoria’s Secret Angels of the 21st century, here’s how these 20+ Iconic Supermodels look like now.
Kate Moss
Discovered walking through New York’s JFK airport aged 14 in 1988, Kate Moss became the most famous British model in the 1990s. She was a poster girl for the anti-supermodel “heroin chic” era, modeled for Calvin Klein, and earned $9.2 million in one year.
Moss became known as a party girl and lost her lucrative contracts but turned her life around to become a loving mother to model Lila. She was last seen on your screen, giving evidence in the Depp/Heard trial.
Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford was the quintessential 1990s supermodel. She became an international sensation with her distinctive beauty mark and timeless, all-American girl allure. In addition to gracing hundreds of magazine covers and iconic ad campaigns, Cindy played a pivotal role in shaping the era’s fashion industry before quitting modeling in 2000.
Crawford remains an influential figure, using her fame for philanthropy and business ventures. In recent years, she launched the “Cindy Crawford Home Collection” line of furniture and features in Apple TV+ docuseries, The Super Models.
Naomi Campbell
One of the most iconic supermodels, Naomi Campbell, began her career at 15. She stormed the fashion world in the late 1990s. Renowned for her Amazonian height, unparalleled beauty, and runway prowess, she shattered barriers as one of the first black supermodels. But, did you know the leggy model also recorded an R&B album?
Today, Campbell’s legacy has transcended modeling; she’s a global icon, philanthropist, and reality TV star who mentors other models. At the 2023 New York Fashion Week, the 53-year-old modeled her own clothing collection.
Claudia Schiffer
Stunning Claudia Schiffer wanted to be a lawyer at her father’s law practice in Düsseldorf. But then the 17-year-old Brigitte Bardot look-a-like’s life was turned upside down when a model scout spotted her. She went on to have one of the most lucrative modeling careers, amassing $55 million.
Not bad work if you can get it… and have the right genes! She married the luckiest man on earth, English film director Matthew “Kingsman” Vaughn, and they live in England with their two children.
Jean Shrimpton
Many say English model and actress Jean Shrimpton was the first woman to deserve the supermodel title. She started modeling at 17 and became known as the first-ever “It Girl.” She also picked up the nicknames “The Face” and “The Moment” and embodied Swinging 1960s London.
Harper’s Bazaar ranked Jean as one of the greatest models of all time, and Time magazine lists her among their 100 most influential icons. Now in her ’80s, she runs the Abbey Hotel in Cornwall, England, with her son Thaddeus.
Elle Macpherson
Just as Jean Shrimpton was “The Face,” Australian beauty Elle Macpherson was “The Body.” She appeared on the cover of just about every fashion magazine ever but is best known for her record five Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover appearances.
But Elle’s not just a pretty face; standing six-foot tall, Elle became an actress and hosted and/or produced Britain’s Next Top Model and NBC’s Fashion Star. Now, she owns a lingerie line called Elle Macpherson Intimates and a skin care product line called — you guessed it — The Body.
Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen was crowned Miss Denmark in 1986. Within a year, she won the Elite Model’s Look of the Year Competition before starring in the music video for Chris Isaak’s song “Wicked Game”. She rose to prominence as a supermodel in the 1990s and became one of Victoria’s Secret models.
Nowadays, the Danish beauty is on the other side of the camera lens as — having learned from the best, like Karl Lagerfeld — she works as a photographer. She’s also an advocate for breast cancer awareness.
Twiggy
Dame Lesley Lawson, known as “Twiggy,” became a modeling sensation in 1966 thanks to her slender frame, thin build, big eyes, long eyelashes, and short hair. She quickly became a cultural icon and the embodiment of the Swinging 1960s. Along with Audrey Hepburn, she was the original Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
But amazingly, Twiggy was only a model for four years as she officially retired in 1970! After modeling, Twiggy became an actress and even won Golden Globes. In September 2023, she walked London Fashion Week’s catwalk again, aged 73!
Heidi Klum
Absolutely fabulous Heidi Klum started modeling in 1992 and became the first model from Germany to become one of Victoria’s Secret Angels. She also appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She had a daughter with Flavio Briatore, the Italian managing director of Renault’s Formula One team, and had three children with English singer Seal.
After winning an Emmy for reality TV show Project Runway (and being nominated for five more), Heidi is now a regular judge on shows like America’s Got Talent.
Eva Herzigová
Beautiful Czech supermodel Eva Herzigová became world-famous in the ’90s for her exquisite beauty and towering height. But, she’s most famous for fronting the iconic Wonderbra campaign. Giant roadside billboards of Eva announcing “Hello Boys” in a push-up bra had to be removed as they were causing so many car crashes!
Still modeling and still as gorgeous as eva, Herzigova remains a significant figure in the fashion and entertainment industry. She also became an actress, appearing in My Best Friend’s Wife (1998) and, most recently, A Prominent Patient (2017).
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields was a model before she was one year old, advertising Ivory Soap! By 14, she was the youngest Vogue cover model and hanging out with Michael Jackson. Aged 15, Shields went all Robinson Crusoe in The Blue Lagoon.
After taking a break to study Romance Languages at Princeton, she became an actress. Brooke married tennis star Andre Agassi but is now married to American film director Chris Henchy. They live in Greenwich Village, New York — and Brooke describes herself as a mom, actor, model, author, and entrepreneur.
Gisele Bündchen
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen rose to international stardom in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Celebrated for her statuesque beauty and impeccable runway presence, the sixth-generation German Brazilian used the very best Teutonic and Latin genes to redefine the modeling landscape and become an iconic Victoria’s Secret Angel.
She married the NFL’s greatest-ever quarterback, Tom Brady, and became the highest-paid supermodel and one of the highest-paid women in the world, with a net worth of $400 million. But then, in 2022, she and Tom got divorced.
Tyra Banks
Known for her striking beauty and dynamic presence, Tyra Banks became a modeling sensation in the ’90s, gracing numerous magazine covers and high-fashion runways. She was the first African American woman to feature on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
However, her journey continued beyond the catwalk. In 2003, Tyra Banks ventured into television, creating and hosting the successful reality show America’s Next Top Model. Today, she’s an actress, author, producer, mom, and one of America’s most bankable TV hosts.
Stephanie Seymour
Stephanie Seymour epitomized 1990s glamorous, all-American beauty. 42-year-old John Casablancas, the head of Elite Model Management, started a relationship with her when she was 14. This led to countless magazine covers and high-fashion runways.
Still, she’ll always be most famous for dating Axl Rose and starring in Guns N’ Roses’ iconic music video, “November Rain”. Stephanie married art collector Peter Brant, had two children, has continued modeling, and is a spokeswoman for Estée Lauder. In 2017, Seymour launched her own line of lingerie.
Daria Werbowy
Polish-born Ukrainian-Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy rose to prominence during the 2000s. She possessed striking beauty, angular cheekbones to die for, and a charismatic presence that jumped off the page of fashion magazines.
She appeared on the September 2004 cover of American Vogue as one of the “Models of the Moment,” and the magazine called her the “ultimate model muse.” In 2016, she disappeared from the industry. But then, in 2023, the 39-year-old stunner shocked the world when she returned as the face and muse of Phoebe Philo and Gucci.
Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall is an American model and actress who began modeling in the 1970s and became one of the most sought-after models in the world. In 1989, she appeared in Tim Burton’s Batman, but she’s most famous for marrying and having four children with Rolling Stone frontman Mick Jagger.
In 2016, she married the owner of Fox News, begging the question, “What first attracted you to one of the world’s richest men, 85-year-old billionaire Rupert Murdoch?” They divorced in 2022, and Jerry might make $250 million from the divorce.
Grace Jones
Eccentric and flamboyant Jamaican-American maneater Grace Jones was not just a model; she was an actress, Bond Girl, singer, and disco diva. In the 1970s and ’80s, she became a legendary music industry icon, gracing disco audiences with her avant-garde style and fierce performances of songs like “Freak Out” and “Pull Up to the Bumper, Baby”.
Now in her mid-70s, Grace is a grandmother and hasn’t released an album in 15 years, but she’s still touring… kinda. In 2022, she performed a three-date tour.
Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington was known for her striking beauty and graceful presence. She graced the covers of top fashion magazines and walked the most prestigious runways, epitomizing 1990s style and elegance. The long-time creative director of Vogue magazine, Grace Coddington, once described Christy as “the most beautiful woman in the world.
In 2010, Turlington founded Every Mother Counts, a non-profit devoted to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for women and children around the world. Turlington’s evolution from supermodel to humanitarian highlights that true beauty extends beyond the runway.
Christie Brinkley
Supermodel Christie Brinkley graced an unprecedented three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues covers in 1979, 1980, and 1981 and gained worldwide fame. But, she’s most famous for marrying Billy Joel and being the “Uptown Girl” in his song and music video.
After Allure and Men’s Health named her one of the most attractive women of all time, Brinkley went on to work in many fields. She’s been an actress, writer, TV personality, illustrator, designer, and activist for human and animal rights and the environment.
Amber Valletta
As a model in the 1990s, Amber Valletta represented luxurious brands like Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Elizabeth Arden, and Calvin Klein and graced 17 Vogue covers. She gets her good looks from her father’s Italian and Portuguese heritage and her mother’s English and Cherokee ancestry.
This century, Amber became an actress and appeared in The Transporter films, Hitch, Man About Town, The Spy Next Door, and Dead Silence. In 2015, she played dastardly Carla Briggs on the ABC soap opera Blood & Oil.
Alessandra Ambrosio
Alessandra Ambrosio isn’t the only beautiful Brazilian supermodel and Victoria’s Secret Angel. After she started modeling at 12 in 1993, People magazine ranked her as one of the “100 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 2007.
At the height of her fame, Forbes magazine listed her as one of the highest-paid models, earning $6.6 million annually. Ambrosio went on to have a son and daughter with Jamie Mazur, founder of RE/DONE jeans. When she modeled while pregnant, she had to wear the heaviest Victoria’s Angel wings ever made!
Carolyn Murphy
In 1998, Vogue named ambassador for Calvin Klein’s perfume line cK Contradiction Carolyn Murphy their 1998 “Model of the Year.” The following year, she was one of their ‘Modern Muses’ on the November 1999 millennium cover.
Murphy modeled for Missoni, Versace, and Tiffany & Co., appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2005, and became an actress. Nowadays, she can be found hanging out with her restaurateur boyfriend, Lincoln Pilcher, practicing Transcendental Meditation.
Tatjana Patitz
German model Tatjana Patitz was one of the original supermodels. Her father was a German travel journalist, and her mom was an Estonian dancer.
She shot to fame in the late 1980s and went on to become one of the big five supermodels — along with Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford — who appeared in George Michael’s 1990 music video “Freedom! ’90”. She married and had a son with businessman Jason Randall Johnson. Sadly, Tatjana passed away in January 2023, aged just 56.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Super posh Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is an English rose, supermodel, and actress. Born in Devon, she became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and the face of Burberry’s 2011 brand fragrance Burberry Body. Since 2010, she has been in a relationship with English tough-guy actor Jason Statham, and she followed in his footsteps to appear as an actress.
When she’s not appearing in Transformers movies or playing The Splendid Angharad in Mad Max: Fury Road, she’s looking after her and Jason’s two children.
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter comes from all the way down under — New Zealand. In the 1980s and ’90s, she appeared on loads of magazine covers, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, Playboy, and Harper’s Bazaar. In 1990, when she was 21, Rachel met Scottish rocker Rod Stewart (24 years her senior) in a Los Angeles nightclub.
They married three months later and had three children, eventually separating in 1999. Nowadays, Rachel Hunter is a grandmother and a yoga teacher, leading retreats in New Zealand, India, and Bali.
Iman
Supermodel Iman was born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1955. American photographer Peter Beard discovered her in 1975. A year later, she won her first assignment for Vogue. With her long neck, sleek figure, slender features, and gorgeous copper-toned skin, Iman was an instant success.
She was happily married to musician and spaceman David Bowie from 1992 until he passed away in 2016. Nowadays, she’s a philanthropist fighting for Save the Children and against blood diamonds, and Iman owns her own cosmetic line.
Milla Jovovich
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine — and raised in Los Angeles — Milla Jovovich first appeared on the cover of the Italian magazine Lei in 1987. She became world-famous as a supermodel in the ’90s.
Next, she transitioned seamlessly into acting, starring in The Fifth Element and lobbing off zombies’ heads in the apocalyptic Resident Evil film franchise. But did you know that Milla is also a singer, fusing European folk with psychedelic rock? In 2020, she had a third child with film director husband Paul W.S. Anderson.
Anna Bayle
Hailing from Manila, in the Philippines, Anna Bayle was the first Asian supermodel. Born in 1956, she became famous after being the runner-up in the 1976 Miss Republic of the Philippines, but she was crowned Miss Luzon. After a lucrative career modeling for Versace, Dior, and Chanel in the 1970s and ’80s, she retired in 1994, wanting to end on a high note.
Anna launched a lipstick line, had a son named Callum, and became a real estate broker in New York City. Nowadays, she’s the beauty editor for LookOnLine.com.
Yasmin Le Bon
Yasmin Parvaneh was born in Oxford, England, in 1964. She inherited her good looks from her Iranian father and English mother. She had a decades-long career as a model but is most famous for becoming the ultimate “Girl on Film” on “Planet Earth” when she married Simon Le Bon, lead singer of the 1980s new romantic band Duran Duran.
Fast forward 40 years, and Yasmin and Simon have three grown-up daughters and are still happily married. Nowadays, she has swapped the catwalk for the racing track!
Kathy Ireland
Kathy Ireland was a supermodel in the ’80s and ’90s, and she left an indelible mark on the fashion industry. Her stunning beauty and super-toned body graced magazines worldwide, including 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and three covers. Her 1989 cover was named The Greatest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover of All Time.
In 1993, she founded Kathy Ireland Worldwide (kiWW), which made her one of the wealthiest former supermodels. In 2021, kiWW generated retail sales of $3.1 billion. Never mind supermodel, what about supermogul?
Linda Evangelista
Linda Evangelista won Miss Niagara Teen 1978, beginning her fashion journey. In 1984, she inked a contract with Elite Model Management and became one of the most photographed women on the planet, gracing over 700 magazine covers.
She famously said, “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.” She officially retired from modeling in 1998. In recent years, she went into hiding for five years after a fat removal surgery procedure left her “horribly disfigured.” She sued the company for $50 million.
Adriana Lima
Adriana Lima was the longest-running Victoria’s Secret Angel, strutting her stuff on the catwalk since she was 18 in 1999. She was named “the most valuable Victoria’s Secret Angel” in 2017, a year before she hung up her wings.
Earning $7.3 million a year, Lima was the world’s second highest-paid model behind fellow Brazilian Gisele. She married Serbian NBA player Marko Jarić in 2009 and had two children with him. Then, in 2021, Adriana started dating American film producer Andre Lemmers. They had a baby boy in August ’22.
Doutzen Kroes
Doutzen Kroes is a Dutch fashion model who launched her career in 2003 in the Netherlands. Her agency quickly propelled her to New York, where she drew the spotlight of the prestigious lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret. From 2008 to 2014, Doutzen was a Victoria’s Secret Angel for six years.
She became one of the world’s top models, earning up to $8 million per year. She married Dutch DJ Sunnery James Gorré and had a son and a daughter. Most recently, she played Venelia in DC’s Wonder Woman films.
Cheryl Tiegs
After modeling swimsuits while still in high school, Cheryl Tiegs arguably became the “First American Supermodel.” Sporting luscious feathery blonde hair like Farah Fawcett, she graced the covers of esteemed fashion publications. Notably, she became the first model to feature twice in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Tiegs was one of the first supermodels to launch her own clothing line. Her girl-next-door image placed her on the Men’s Health 2011 list of “100 Hottest Women of All Time.” After marrying and divorcing four times, she’s now an environmental activist.
Natalia Vodianova
Nicknamed Supernova, Natalia Vodianova was born in Gorky, Soviet Union (now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) in 1982. She started modeling at age 15 and, within two years, was walking the catwalks of Paris. She quit the catwalk in 2008 to become a brand ambassador for French lingerie company Etam.
By 2012, Forbes ranked her as the third highest-paid model in the world, earning $8.6 million in one year. Today, while she’s not looking after her five children, Supernova is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
Veruschka
Vera Gottliebe Anna Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort was born into the aristocratic House of Lehndorff in 1939 in Königsberg, East Prussia, now known as Russian Kaliningrad. Known as Veruschka, she was discovered by photographer Ugo Mulas in Florence, Italy, at the age of 20.
She became the first German supermodel after briefly appearing in Michael Antonioni’s seminal 1966 movie Blow-Up. Veruschka collaborated with The Big Four Vogue magazines and Salvador Dali. Now in her mid-80s, she was last seen in the Resort 2018 lookbook for Acne Studios.
Liya Kebede
Hailing from Ethiopia, stunning Liya Kebede was discovered by a French film director. Her big break came when Tom Ford gave her an exclusive contract for his Gucci Fall/Winter 2000 fashion show. Within two years, Vogue Paris magazine dedicated an entire issue to her, and she was named “an exotic Grace Kelly.”
She became the first Ethiopian model to represent Estée Lauder in a $3 million deal. Liya is now a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador who passionately advocates for maternal mental health. Here she is at 2023’s Paris Fashion Week.
Pattie Boyd
Along with Jean Shrimpton, Pattie Boyd epitomized the classic British look of the Swinging 1960s. Sporting a “mini-skirt, long, straight hair, and wide-eyed loveliness,” she began modeling in London and Paris at 18. In 1966, she married George Harrison but left him for his friend Eric Clapton eight years later.
As well as being a model, she inspired The Beatles “Something” and Clapton’s “Layla”. In recent years, Boyd reinvented herself as a renowned photographer. As she approaches her 80th year, she is happily married to property developer Rod Weston.
Nadja Auermann
German supermodel Nadja Auermann is known for her piercing blue eyes, blonde hair, and holding the record for being the model with the longest legs in the world. She was discovered while sipping coffee in a Berlin cafe in 1989.
Within two years, she was strutting her long legs on runways all around the world. Her legs were so long that she’d walk most catwalks in three strides. Nadja was convicted of tax evasion in 2011. Nowadays, she lives with her boyfriend and four children in Dresden.
Marie Helvin
Marie Helvin was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1952. After growing up in Hawaii, the 15-year-old was unveiled as the face of Japanese cosmetics brand Kanebo. She collaborated with renowned fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent and Versace and married legendary photographer David Bailey.
In the 1980s, Helvin left modeling to become a travel journalist. In 1990, she launched a swimwear range. She was a Britain’s Next Top Model judge but recently told The Daily Mail she was broke and considering applying for a job as a supermarket cashier!
