In the 80s, many models became popular because of their unique fashion sense. Many of these models are still considered to be fashion icons today.
Some of the most popular models in the 80s include:
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields began modeling very young, at the exact age of 11 months. In 1960, she appeared in an advertisement for a soap. She used that exposure to do various roles in feature films, including Pretty Baby (1978) and Blue Lagoon (1980), where she embodied the joyful and attractive young girl persona.
After those years, she made waves in the fashion industry, particular by covering fashion magazines and by appearing in Calvin Klein’s controversial jean ads. She had bold brows, a beautifully shaped bone structure, and long hair that shot her to the limelight.
Cindy Crawford
Prior to Cindy Crawford’s shot to fame and journey as a famous supermodel, she was pursuing a degree in education. She was the valedictorian of her high school and studied chemical engineering. But then she left to pursue modeling. She signed with Elite Model Management (ELM) in 1982, and was soon branded as one of the Big Six supermodels of the time.
She is known for being one of the best models during her prime years. She remains a model today and is still working in the fashion industry. Her daughter, Kaia Gerber, now works as a model too, following closely in her footsteps.
Inès de La Fressange
Inès de La Fressange was the daughter of a mother who was an Argentine model and a father who was a French stockbroker. Combine that with her height and glamor that are characteristic of haute couture, it became fate when Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld offered her a modeling career.
Ines became the first model that was signed to a contract that demanded exclusivity with Chanel. In 1989, Fressange and Lagerfeld had a public fallout. But they made peace when she returned to his show in 2011 and walked for him again. La Fressange has recently been featured in Uniqlo’s spring and summer 2020 campaign. She has also written a book titled “Parisian Chic: A Style Guide.”
Iman
Iman was discovered by Peter Beard in 1975. He saw her in a street in Nairobi, and fell in love with her beauty, because she was statuesque and stunning. She had been studying political science in college at the time, but soon she became the face of high fashion.
She booked many of the biggest fashion spreads and covers. And, she became the muse for renowned designers, such as Thierry Mugler.
She eventually married superstar David Bowie in the early 90s, and later on launched her own makeup brand. She wanted to make makeup products for dark-skinned girls, who were often ignored by the industry at the time.
When the 1980s arrived, the modeling industry became obsessed with beautiful women who had rich and dark skin tones. That was the beauty of the exotic look that Iman had.
