A supermodel is a highly paid fashion model who has a worldwide reputation and background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became popular in the 1990s. Supermodels usually work for prominent fashion designers and clothing brands. They may have multimillion-dollar contracts, endorsements, and campaigns. Supermodels have branded themselves as household names and worldwide recognition is associated with their modeling careers. They have been on the covers of leading fashion magazines. Claudia Schiffer stated in 2007 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."
Patricia Campbell Hearst is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She first became known for the events following her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was found and arrested 19 months after being abducted, by which time she was a fugitive wanted for serious crimes committed with members of the group. She was held in custody, and there was speculation before trial that her family's resources would enable her to avoid time in prison.
Linda Evangelista is a Canadian fashion model. She is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time, and has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. Evangelista is primarily known for being the longtime "muse" of photographer Steven Meisel, as well as for the phrase: "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day."
Adriana Lima is a Brazilian model. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1999 to 2018. She was the longest-running model and named "the most valuable Victoria's Secret Angel" in 2017. She is also known as a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics since 2003, and for her Super Bowl and Kia Motors commercials. At age 15, Lima won Ford Models' "Supermodel of Brazil" competition, and took second place the following year in the Ford "Supermodel of the World" competition before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City.
Shalom Harlow is a Canadian model and actress. She began her career in the early 1990s and by the end of the decade was at supermodel status. In 2007, Forbes listed her as thirteenth in the list of the World's Top-Earning Supermodels. She has also appeared in films such as In & Out (1997) and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) and hosted MTV's House of Style alongside fellow model Amber Valletta.
Amber Evangeline Valletta is an American model and actress. She began her career as a fashion model, landing her first of 17 American Vogue covers in February 1993. During the 1990s, Valletta reached the status of supermodel, working as the face of Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Escada, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino, Gucci and Versace, and signing multimillion-dollar cosmetics contracts with Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Arden. From 1995 to 1996, Valletta and her friend and fellow model Shalom Harlow hosted the MTV show House of Style.
Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova, nicknamed Supernova, is a Russian model and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. Vodianova has appeared on the cover of international Vogue 86 times, which makes her one of the models with the most Vogue covers appearances.
Tatjana Patitz was a German fashion model. She achieved international prominence in the 1980s and 1990s representing fashion designers on runways and in magazines such as Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue. She was one of the big five supermodels who appeared in the 1990 music video "Freedom! '90" by George Michael, and she was associated with the editorial, advertising, and fine-art works of photographers Herb Ritts and Peter Lindbergh.
Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. She rose to prominence in 2007 as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. Kerr was the first Australian Victoria's Secret model and also represented the Australian department store chain David Jones. She has launched her own brand of organic skincare products, KORA Organics, and has written a self-help book.
Amanda Randolph Hearst, sometimes called Amanda Hearst Rønning, is an American socialite, activist, fashion model, and heiress to the Hearst Corporation, William Randolph Hearst's media conglomerate. Hearst previously worked as an associate market editor at Marie Claire and is the founder of Friends of Finn, an organization dedicated to stopping the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. She also served as a co-chair of Riverkeeper's Junior Council. Hearst co-founded Maison de Mode in 2015, an ethical luxury fashion online retailer. In 2018, Hearst co-founded the charity Well Beings, focusing on animal welfare, conservation and other humane initiatives.
Anna Sergeyevna "Anne" Vyalitsyna, also known as Anne V, is a Russian-American model best known for her 10-consecutive-year appearances (2005–2014) in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Stella Tennant was a British model and fashion designer, who rose to fame in the early 1990s and had a career that spanned almost 30 years. From an unconventional aristocratic family, she worked with Helmut Lang, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and Gianni Versace. She worked for haute couture names like Valentino, and Dior by John Galliano and with photographers Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber, Paolo Roversi, and Tim Walker. Over the years she appeared in advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Hermès and Burberry.
Kristen McMenamy is an American model known for her unconventional, androgynous appearance. Originally a long-haired redhead, she reinvented her look in the early 1990s by having her hair cut short and dyed black, and her eyebrows shaved off. Her career was boosted by the advent of the grunge fashion trend.
Karlie Elizabeth Kloss is an American fashion model. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2013 until 2015 when she resigned to study at New York University. By 2019, Kloss had appeared on 40 international Vogue covers.
Shantel VanSanten is an American actress and model. As a model, she has been featured in the magazines Teen Vogue and Seventeen. On television, she played Quinn James in the CW teen drama series One Tree Hill; recurred as Becca Butcher in the Amazon Prime Original The Boys; and starred as Julie Swagger, the wife of lead character Bob Lee Swagger on the USA Network series Shooter. On film, she has appeared in The Final Destination, You and I, and Something Wicked. From 2019 to 2023, VanSanten starred as Karen Baldwin in the Apple TV+ science fiction space drama series For All Mankind.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was an annual promotional event sponsored by and featuring Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie. From 1995 to 2018, Victoria's Secret used the show to market its goods in high-profile settings. Models under contract to the company, known as Victoria's Secret Angels, were key participants at the event. The fashion show was cancelled in 2019, the same year its organizer, Edward Razek, resigned under public pressure. It made a comeback and was rebranded in 2023 as a Prime Video special titled, “The Tour ‘23”.
Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young, known professionally as Winnie Harlow, is a Canadian fashion model and public spokesperson on the skin condition vitiligo. She gained prominence in 2014 as a contestant on the 21st cycle of the U.S. television series America's Next Top Model. In 2018, Harlow became the first model with vitiligo to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She also appeared in the Beyoncé-directed HBO visual album Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016). She was honored as one of the BBC 100 Women in 2018. Harlow later served as a judge on the second season of the Amazon Prime Video series Making the Cut.
The second season of The Face premiered on March 5, 2014 on Oxygen. The season followed three supermodel coaches as they competed with each other to find 'the face' of Frédéric Fekkai's hair care brand by the same name.
Vittoria Ceretti is an Italian supermodel. Ceretti was discovered in 2012 through the Elite Model Look Model contest. Models.com ranks Ceretti as one of the "New Supers". Known for her versatility and her striking features Ceretti has managed to become one of the most praised and well-known supermodels of this generation. As of 2024, Ceretti has walked 400 fashion shows and has graced the cover of international Vogue 23 times.
Anok Yai is an American fashion model. She is the first South Sudanese model and the second black supermodel after Naomi Campbell to open a Prada show. She has made several appearances on i-D and international Vogue covers, including American Vogue three times. Models.com ranks her as one of the "New Supers" of this generation, and in 2023, she was chosen by both the industry and fans as "Model of the Year".
