There was a time when impossibly perfect leggy beings hogged the catwalk and magazine covers. The era of the supermodels may have given way to the era of actress-models, but fashion designers still remember — and honour — their favourite girls, writes CHEONG PHIN.

The classic beauty of supermodel Christy Turlington captured by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel's 'East-West Bag' campaign in 2008.

Claudia Schiffer plays the role of a movie star in the Salvatore Ferragamo Spring/Summer 2008 advertising campaign.

FASHION trends are cyclical. The recent runway looks seem to have revived the 1980s and early ’90s with neon brights, skinny jeans, voluminous tops with cinched belts and big chunky accessories, while some of the top fashion houses focused on the supermodel looks of that era in their advertising campaigns for their Spring/Summer 2008 collections.

These are the supermodels from the era in which Linda Evangelista famously said that “we don’t wake up for less than US$10,000 (RM33,000) a day”, who command the attention of the masses like what movie stars and pop idols do today. It was an era when Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Evangelista dominated the runway shows and graced almost every fashion publication in print.

Today, the supermodel phenomenon has somehow fizzled out as celebrities from the entertainment world slowly take over advertising campaigns and are seen on covers of fashion publications. Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore, for example, is the new spokesmodel for Cover Girl cosmetics and graces the cover of American Vogue this month.

In fact, Claudia Schiffer reportedly said that “In order to become a supermodel, one must be on all the covers all over the world at the same time so that people can recognise the girls. That is, for now, not possible, not least because the advertising industry is very much taken nowadays by pop stars and actresses. Supermodels like we once were don’t exist anymore.”
But these supermodels are back in the limelight. Leading the revival of the “superlook” is Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton. He roped in ex-supermodels such as Stephanie Seymour, Eva Herzigova and Naomi Campbell to be among the group of 12 most celebrated models in the past 20 years, to open his Spring/Summer 2008 Ready-To-Wear show. They were disguised as nurses in a wacky Richard Prince-inspired collection.

Shortly after the catwalk collection, Jacobs was inspired by another Richard Prince artwork while visiting London’s Frieze Art Fair. “I saw this fabulous piece — a bright yellow vintage Dodge, and just knew we had to feature it in the campaign along with the supermodels who opened our Spring/Summer show,” recounts Jacobs.

Beautifully shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the result was an advertising campaign that featured Campbell, Seymour, Herzigora, Angela Lindvall, Natalia Vodianova and Schiffer draped over the Richard Prince Dodge, holding the Monogram Jokes bags created by the artist for Louis Vuitton.

Combined with the automobile’s gleaming paintwork, the glossy lipstick and brightly coloured patent pumps worn by the models create a retro mood — one of vibrant, upbeat glamour which, according to Jacobs is, “ a breath of fresh air.”

In addition to the Vuitton campaign and living up to her reputation as one of the most sought-after supermodels in her heydays, Schiffer seems to remain a favourite among the top fashion houses. She continues her dominating role as the star model of the advertising campaigns for Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo this season.

After a successful Fall campaign for Italian fashion giant Ferragamo in 2007 which paid homage to the cinematic glamour of the movies, Mario Testino has Schiffer again in another series of black and white photographs. These picture her shopping like a movie star would, flanked by handsome escorts and bodyguards, hoards of onlookers and paparazzi jostling for a glimpse of the “starlet”.

The campaign hopes to remind us of the days when actresses would visit the Ferragamo boutique in Florence on every one of their trips to Italy, and of the longstanding relationship between Salvatore — who is also known as “the shoemaker to the Stars” — and the celebrities. It’s an affiliation that endures until today and Schiffer appears to capture the essence of the campaign perfectly with her supermodel looks.

Her looks have always charmed the great Karl Lagerfeld. The Kaiser has picked his fellow German as the face of Chanel Cruise 2008 and the Spring/Summer 2008 advertising campaigns. Stunningly shot in black and white by Lagerfeld himself, the Summer campaign featured an unusual beach setting for the classic Chanel tweed suits.

Not missing out on this revival of the supermodels is the very popular Turlington, who has since produced a successful range of yoga-inspired fashion for Puma Nuala. Her classic beauty and versatility have earned her a renewed contract with cosmetic giant Maybelline this season and the Spring/Summer advertising campaigns for Escada and Chanel handbags.

While Schiffer fronts the season’s fashion campaign by the beach, Turlington dons a braided hairstyle to show off a series of Chanel East-West Bags, also shot by Lagerfeld after an earlier campaign for Chanel eyewear. The handbag comes in two styles, uses white metal and is available in four colour combinations.

For those of us who grew up in the era of supermodels, it’s great to see these femme fatales putting up a claim for the attention they rightly deserve. It may be a “breath of fresh air” to Marc Jacobs and the younger generation of designers but for the rest of us, it’s a “breath of nostalgia” — and a refreshing one too.