14 DAY TRIAL // Over the past years, the general tendency in glamorous fashion ads was to forget the "professional" supermodels of yore and focus on nice, friendly and recognizable celebrity faces. Whether we're talking Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman or Scarlett Johansson (all three of each modeled for Louis Vuitton starting from 2003), celebrity faces hijacked much of the luxury ad campaigns for a long time. This happened after the end of the 1990s witnessed a "supermodel overload" which banished the likes of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Eva Herzigova into semi-obscurity. Not anymore, however - as the line-up for a great deal of fall fashion campaigns announces the triumphant return of professional supermodels on the big stage.
Karl Lagerfeld explained that the iconic Nineties supermodels are in fact a hybrid brand, which makes them deliciously popular and relatable for a vast majority of women from all age groups. They are celebrities and professional models all rolled into one, which makes them fulfill both the industry's needs for familiar, recognizable faces and the audience's love for insights into the everyday lives of celebrities. "Time makes them sometimes even more interesting", Lagerfeld stated. "I work with them because they are great and right even for this moment. They are still young women with nice faces and great personal, modern style. They are, and stay, irreplaceable".
As a result, we have Linda Evangelista starring in Prada ads, Naomi Campbell in Yves Saint Laurent, Claudia Schiffer in Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo, Eva Herzigova in Louis Vuitton and Christy Turlington in Escada. In Donatella Versace's wise words, "being the original in any field gives you a very special and enduring cachet". The success behind the spectacular return of the Nineties supermodels is acknowledged not only by fashion designers, but also by sheer numbers. Linda Evangelista, for example, has been appointed as one of the "it" faces for L'Or?al cosmetics 18 months ago and sales for products she represents have increased with 20%. So keep an eye out for more news on the fall / winter campaign lineup and stay tuned for more fresh news.