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10 top supermodels of all time
By Jordan Stein
from AskMen.com
Where have all the leggy supermodels gone? The originals may have stepped aside to make room for the younger, emerging crop, but each model sensation featured in the list that follows has opened a door, and didn't merely walk through one. And although words can never do their uncanny perfection justice, it was incumbent upon us to try:
10. Twiggy
Before there were supermodels, there was Twiggy Lawson (née Leslie Hornby). Back in the day (the day being the '60s), Twiggy was the namesake of a line of cosmetics, the inspiration for a doll and the epitome of mod chic. As for her stage name -- Twiggy -- that was no accident. She was waif-skinny. Kate Moss, you might recall, is something of a waif herself. Now where do you suppose she got that idea?
9. Christy Turlington
One of the original five supermodels (alongside Cindy, Claudia, Naomi, and Linda), her face is instantly recognizable and impeccable. It's everywhere -- and men worldwide are cool with that. She has been the face of Calvin Klein's ever-expanding arsenal of fragrances since 1987. That's 16 years of supermodel status, an achievement that speaks volumes about her timeless beauty.
8. Naomi Campbell
This sultry British import isnt just a pretty face. Campbell broke ground as the first black woman ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine and British and French Vogue. She's also had a number one single in Japan with "La, La, La Love Song," steamed up the small screen in pre-controversy Michael Jackson's "In The Closet" video and turned in a strong performance in Spike Lee's Girl 6. Not too shabby.
7. Elle MacPherson
And on the seventh day, God created Elle. Standing at an impressive six feet, Elle, also known as "The Body," conquered all the glossies -- Elle, Sports Illustrated, etc. -- before turning her attention to a series of exercise tapes. She's had several turns in Hollywood films, most notably Sirens and Batman & Robin. Her love life is no stranger to sequels, either. She's been linked to several high-profile men and is now engaged to Swiss financier Arpade "Arki" Busson, with whom she had her second child this year.
6. Claudia Schiffer
This former Guess? pinup performed her best trick when she made her engagement to magician David Copperfield disappear. All the boys really dug that one. German-born, Claudia has graced more than 500 magazine covers. Aren't you happy she forwent practicing law in favor of a top-drawer modeling career? She exudes innocence and sex appeal in the same breath -- blonde hair, deep blue eyes, a dynamite physique -- a quality, we suspect, that led to a four-year contract with Revlon worth $6 million.
5.Carol Alt
Dubbed "The Face" for obvious reasons, Carol Alt has had a sustained, if not fulfilling career as a megamodel. Unfortunately, it's been slowed by age and the fickleness of the biz. But that doesn't undo Carol's tremendous achievements. A true renaissance model, way ahead of the curve and slightly ahead of her time, Carol was a dominant force in fashion before supermodels roamed the earth. Like Claudia Schiffer, she gave up on law school when she was plucked from obscurity at Hofstra University. The rest -- covers, exercise videos, American and European films, posters and calendars -- is supermodel history.
But in case you're still not convinced that Carol Alt is deserving of a spot on the list, consider this: She appeared on the cover of the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Put another way, her face helped launch a glossy institution. Now 43, Carol likes to stay active and is something of a fan of professional hockey; she divorced former NHL player Ron Greschner, notorious for mastering the art of picking up models and beautiful women, and is now married to New York Islanders star Alexei Yashin. A hockey fan to boot.
4.Kathy Ireland
Of all of Kathy Ireland's achievements as a model -- and there have been many -- her most notable is probably her repeated at bats on the cover of the famed Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Three at last count. She was also named the magazine's 25th anniversary swimsuit model and has been a staple of the publication for over twelve years. Like many of her peers, she's gracefully pulled off a successful crossover into small television and film roles. With legendary blue eyes, a killer smile and a banging body, it's not hard to see why. She even has a little Martha Stewart in her, hatching her own line of clothing and home design products.
3.Christie Brinkley
The first career supermodel as we understand it, Brinkley has graced the cover of over 500 magazines. She embodies a classic American beauty; her flowing blonde hair, flawless pale complexion and piercing blue eyes are as simple as apple pie, yet complex enough that one can never figure out how it all came together so perfectly. Let's get this out of the way immediately: Brinkley was married to rock 'n' roll legend Billy Joel for some time, even appearing in his "Uptown Girl" video. Of course, Christie will always be remembered for giving Chevy Chase something to speed about in two National Lampoon Vacation movies. Her extraordinary supermodel career now entering its twilight, Christie is more apt to appear in Redbook than Vogue, but is still very much in demand. She's doing the infomercial rounds and has taken up worthwhile causes like the fight against breast cancer.
2.Gisele Bundchen
If Brazil has become ground zero for new model talent, Gisele Bundchen is its first lady. Everything about her is perfect, symmetrically and otherwise. Gisele is like a breath of fresh air for anyone who's grown tired of that drawn, emaciated look. On the contrary, Gisele's figure is wholly feminine: shapely and proportional, not tomboyish. Since appearing on the scene a short time ago (1999, to be exact), she has exploded as a top choice of photographers, glossies and, of course, fashion houses. Polo and Dolce & Gabbana quickly came knocking, signing Gisele to peddle their wares. All the others have since fallen in line. Between endorsements and shoots, you might say Gisele is adequately compensated for being the next big thing. Her estimated earning power is in the neighborhood of $5 million. Now she can chow down in style, even though rumor has it she has a thing for Big Macs.
1.Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford isn't a supermodel, she's an enterprise. This Midwesterner's star began to rise in the mid-'80s, as she parlayed a ridiculous body and one very prominent mole into a career that included hundreds of magazine covers, a landmark Herb Ritz layout in the premiere skin mag and, of course, a myriad of catwalk saunters. But Cindy's world domination did not end there. Endorsements for makeup lines and soft drinks, appearances in Hollywood films and a short-lived turn as a restaurateur followed. In 1995, Forbes magazine named Crawford the world's highest-paid model. Not bad for an Illinois farm girl. Since conquering fashion and dominating popular culture, Cindy has turned her attention to raising her children alongside her nightlife impresario husband, Rande Gerber. Her appearances may be limited these days, but nobody can deny that the '90s were all Cindy's.
The Super Ten
All of the women who made the cut -- and it was a difficult process of elimination -- became as vital to their chosen profession as they did to popular culture. That is the true measure of supermodeldom.
Only when her name is household-common and her face triggers recall of that name, does a model become an icon. And the real achievement of all of these women, aside from breaking new ground, was to parlay a meager modeling contract into bona fide celebrity status
By Jordan Stein
from AskMen.com
Where have all the leggy supermodels gone? The originals may have stepped aside to make room for the younger, emerging crop, but each model sensation featured in the list that follows has opened a door, and didn't merely walk through one. And although words can never do their uncanny perfection justice, it was incumbent upon us to try:
10. Twiggy
Before there were supermodels, there was Twiggy Lawson (née Leslie Hornby). Back in the day (the day being the '60s), Twiggy was the namesake of a line of cosmetics, the inspiration for a doll and the epitome of mod chic. As for her stage name -- Twiggy -- that was no accident. She was waif-skinny. Kate Moss, you might recall, is something of a waif herself. Now where do you suppose she got that idea?
9. Christy Turlington
One of the original five supermodels (alongside Cindy, Claudia, Naomi, and Linda), her face is instantly recognizable and impeccable. It's everywhere -- and men worldwide are cool with that. She has been the face of Calvin Klein's ever-expanding arsenal of fragrances since 1987. That's 16 years of supermodel status, an achievement that speaks volumes about her timeless beauty.
8. Naomi Campbell
This sultry British import isnt just a pretty face. Campbell broke ground as the first black woman ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine and British and French Vogue. She's also had a number one single in Japan with "La, La, La Love Song," steamed up the small screen in pre-controversy Michael Jackson's "In The Closet" video and turned in a strong performance in Spike Lee's Girl 6. Not too shabby.
7. Elle MacPherson
And on the seventh day, God created Elle. Standing at an impressive six feet, Elle, also known as "The Body," conquered all the glossies -- Elle, Sports Illustrated, etc. -- before turning her attention to a series of exercise tapes. She's had several turns in Hollywood films, most notably Sirens and Batman & Robin. Her love life is no stranger to sequels, either. She's been linked to several high-profile men and is now engaged to Swiss financier Arpade "Arki" Busson, with whom she had her second child this year.
6. Claudia Schiffer
This former Guess? pinup performed her best trick when she made her engagement to magician David Copperfield disappear. All the boys really dug that one. German-born, Claudia has graced more than 500 magazine covers. Aren't you happy she forwent practicing law in favor of a top-drawer modeling career? She exudes innocence and sex appeal in the same breath -- blonde hair, deep blue eyes, a dynamite physique -- a quality, we suspect, that led to a four-year contract with Revlon worth $6 million.
5.Carol Alt
Dubbed "The Face" for obvious reasons, Carol Alt has had a sustained, if not fulfilling career as a megamodel. Unfortunately, it's been slowed by age and the fickleness of the biz. But that doesn't undo Carol's tremendous achievements. A true renaissance model, way ahead of the curve and slightly ahead of her time, Carol was a dominant force in fashion before supermodels roamed the earth. Like Claudia Schiffer, she gave up on law school when she was plucked from obscurity at Hofstra University. The rest -- covers, exercise videos, American and European films, posters and calendars -- is supermodel history.
But in case you're still not convinced that Carol Alt is deserving of a spot on the list, consider this: She appeared on the cover of the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Put another way, her face helped launch a glossy institution. Now 43, Carol likes to stay active and is something of a fan of professional hockey; she divorced former NHL player Ron Greschner, notorious for mastering the art of picking up models and beautiful women, and is now married to New York Islanders star Alexei Yashin. A hockey fan to boot.
4.Kathy Ireland
Of all of Kathy Ireland's achievements as a model -- and there have been many -- her most notable is probably her repeated at bats on the cover of the famed Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Three at last count. She was also named the magazine's 25th anniversary swimsuit model and has been a staple of the publication for over twelve years. Like many of her peers, she's gracefully pulled off a successful crossover into small television and film roles. With legendary blue eyes, a killer smile and a banging body, it's not hard to see why. She even has a little Martha Stewart in her, hatching her own line of clothing and home design products.
3.Christie Brinkley
The first career supermodel as we understand it, Brinkley has graced the cover of over 500 magazines. She embodies a classic American beauty; her flowing blonde hair, flawless pale complexion and piercing blue eyes are as simple as apple pie, yet complex enough that one can never figure out how it all came together so perfectly. Let's get this out of the way immediately: Brinkley was married to rock 'n' roll legend Billy Joel for some time, even appearing in his "Uptown Girl" video. Of course, Christie will always be remembered for giving Chevy Chase something to speed about in two National Lampoon Vacation movies. Her extraordinary supermodel career now entering its twilight, Christie is more apt to appear in Redbook than Vogue, but is still very much in demand. She's doing the infomercial rounds and has taken up worthwhile causes like the fight against breast cancer.
2.Gisele Bundchen
If Brazil has become ground zero for new model talent, Gisele Bundchen is its first lady. Everything about her is perfect, symmetrically and otherwise. Gisele is like a breath of fresh air for anyone who's grown tired of that drawn, emaciated look. On the contrary, Gisele's figure is wholly feminine: shapely and proportional, not tomboyish. Since appearing on the scene a short time ago (1999, to be exact), she has exploded as a top choice of photographers, glossies and, of course, fashion houses. Polo and Dolce & Gabbana quickly came knocking, signing Gisele to peddle their wares. All the others have since fallen in line. Between endorsements and shoots, you might say Gisele is adequately compensated for being the next big thing. Her estimated earning power is in the neighborhood of $5 million. Now she can chow down in style, even though rumor has it she has a thing for Big Macs.
1.Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford isn't a supermodel, she's an enterprise. This Midwesterner's star began to rise in the mid-'80s, as she parlayed a ridiculous body and one very prominent mole into a career that included hundreds of magazine covers, a landmark Herb Ritz layout in the premiere skin mag and, of course, a myriad of catwalk saunters. But Cindy's world domination did not end there. Endorsements for makeup lines and soft drinks, appearances in Hollywood films and a short-lived turn as a restaurateur followed. In 1995, Forbes magazine named Crawford the world's highest-paid model. Not bad for an Illinois farm girl. Since conquering fashion and dominating popular culture, Cindy has turned her attention to raising her children alongside her nightlife impresario husband, Rande Gerber. Her appearances may be limited these days, but nobody can deny that the '90s were all Cindy's.
The Super Ten
All of the women who made the cut -- and it was a difficult process of elimination -- became as vital to their chosen profession as they did to popular culture. That is the true measure of supermodeldom.
Only when her name is household-common and her face triggers recall of that name, does a model become an icon. And the real achievement of all of these women, aside from breaking new ground, was to parlay a meager modeling contract into bona fide celebrity status
Oh, alright, I was in highschool when Twiggy was at her most popular 
