An examination of the lives and careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington reveals how they ruled the modelling world while developing a relationship that altered the power structure of the business.
In 2023, it is unusual to see Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista all in one location at a public function. Thus, The Super Models, a new docuseries on Apple TV+, is not only a remarkable cultural occurrence but also a record of the development of fashion and beauty as well as the situation of the industry today, which uses aesthetics from their era. Naomi states at the outset that she has spent the majority of her life in front of the camera. All four of these women, who started out in the modelling business as teenagers, can attest to this. So the fundamental query is: Does the camera in this documentary present them in a fresh light?
The four-part docuseries, which is directed by Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills, starts in the early 1980s. Naomi starts her trip in London after being seen by an agent there and being requested to attend an agency audition. The docuseries follows Cindy, Linda, and Christy as they progress from modest beginnings to getting discovered by photographers and agents, and eventually landing their first jobs. Beyond these expected disclosures, which each model gleefully shares with us, the docuseries' true goal is served when they closely examine these experiences and reflect on them with a mixture of sadness and caution.
The Super Models (English version)
Directors: Larissa Bills and Roger Ross Williams
Cast : includes Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and more.
Episode: 4 episodes
Running Time: 50 to 55 minutes
Summary: Supermodels Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and others reflect on how they came to be the most recognisable faces in fashion.
In particular, Linda recalls a shoot in Japan when she was just 16 years old and was made to feel uncomfortable on the set, which nearly convinced her to give up modelling completely. Other models also discuss these instances while emphasising the significance of the words "safety" and "trust." These events take up the whole runtime of the first two episodes at various moments, notably early in their careers when they are just getting started. In light of a revival in enthusiastic fashion consumption and model awe, it is uncomfortable yet vital to observe. Both of those are acceptable; they are just too static in their effects to be adopted without the advice of more seasoned fraternity members.
In an open interview, Linda Evangelista discusses her experience having a cosmetic treatment go wrong and damage her. After that, Linda needed time to recover and withdraw from the spotlight. She makes an emotional confession, saying, "I just wish we could just really see ourselves in the mirror, non-distorted, without having seen ourselves with a filter or retouched." Cindy had experienced a comparable situation in which a mole was removed from a magazine without her consent. When the documentary compares testimonies, this is where it finds support.
The models are lauded by veterans of the fashion business who refer to them as icons of the "glory days" who transcended fashion. There is no doubting the influence of these supermodels, or how they altered our aspirations for who we should be and how we consume the ideal woman embracing fashion. They established a bar that is still met, but as Linda points out, they were supermodels rather than superpeople. This emotion is admirably preserved throughout the four episodes and dominates the myth of the supermodel, which is larger than life. While the docuseries might have benefited if these four had been brought together for more than just the final photo shoot to reflect on their shared past, their uninterrupted confessions are incredibly impactful.
