The Reel Review
The rise of the world’s four most famous supermodels of the 1990s – Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington – and their long-lasting influence on fashion – is profiled in this AppleTV docuseries. From their childhoods to their early years breaking into the modeling industry, the miniseries wraps with where each of them is today.
Each of the four nearly hour-long episodes is a well-woven tapestry of sit-down interviews with the supermodels, designers, agents and journalists, archival footage and photographs. We learn how each of the women got their start in modeling, the personal challenges they faced and what life was like during their career heyday in the 90s. The supermodel era occurred before the advent of photo retouching in post-production – an era where the magic happened on camera and in that moment. Iconic photographers such as Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber and Herb Ritts are celebrated. Personal relationships – both good and bad – are discussed.
This fun and extremely comprehensive miniseries includes just about every topic ever associated with the supermodels – it is an impressive array of personal and professional highs and lows, and a nod to how the advent of cable television – shows such as CNN’s Style with Elsa Klensch and MTV’s Cindy Crawford-hosted House of Style – was instrumental in bringing fashion into homes around the world and making the supermodels household names.
The fourth episode is the most revealing about their lives in recent years. Linda Evangelista speaks out about her now infamous “I won’t get out of bed for less than $10,000” comment and her battle with breast cancer, Naomi Campbell discusses efforts to highlight designers and models in the developing world, Cindy Crawford speaks about her children’s modeling careers and Christy Turlington talks about the joy of her philanthropic work. The docuseries culminates in a reunion/fashion shoot for Vogue’s September 2023 issue that does not disappoint. These women still have the “it” factor.
REEL FACTS
• The other original supermodel of “The Fab Five,” Tatjana Patitz, died of metastatic breast cancer while under hospice care in Santa Barbara, California on January 11, 2023. She was 56.
• The iconic George Michael 1990 music Freedom ’90 was the turning point for the supermodels, turning them overnight into household names.
• After 21 years with CNN, fashion journalist Elsa Klensch retired in 2001 to devote time to her other passion – writing mystery novels. Klensch died on March 2, 2022 at her home in Manhattan at the age of 92.
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