The late-night documentary I've been watching is "The Super Models." I've already watched S1 E1 -"The Look" and I've watched S1 E2 - "The Fame." I haven't watched the other episodes yet. Anyway, let me share my initial thoughts. To begin, I'd like to say that I grew up idolizing Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell. How could you possibly not? They are the fabulous four! I was and continue to be captivated by their natural beauty and distinct personalities. They will never be replaced.
Photo by VOGUE.
I did not know that Naomi Campbell was raised without a father. I cried my eyes out when she started to cry while speaking so fondly of Azzedine Alaïa in the documentary "The Super Models." Furthermore, I also didn't know that Naomi considered him a father figure as she called him "Papa." It's hard to believe that at the beginning of her journey into the fashion world, nobody wanted to cast her in fashion shows. Elite did not want to take her and Alaïa spoke to the owner and said to him, "Listen, she is my daughter, so you have to take her on and look after her. I don't want her to be left all on her own in NY." Naomi was a history-maker though and became the first black woman to appear on the covers of Time and VOGUE France.
Sadly Azzedine Alaïa died at the age of 82 of congestive heart failure in 2017. I truly believe from the depth of my soul that he was and still is her guardian angel. Bless him, for he is her hero in many ways.
Photo by British VOGUE.
Okay, before we get into Cindy's backstory, can we take a moment to appreciate this classic PEPSI ad from the '90s? She made everything look so cool. She was an inspiration for me when I was a little girl. I remember I wanted to emulate her and I just loved the way she dressed and how her makeup was done. It was so effortless.
While watching the documentary I couldn't believe my eyes and ears when she interviewed with Oprah Winfrey in 1986. Modeling agent John Casablancas, the founder of Elite Modeling Agency, sat next to her for the interview, and by the way, he was her agent.
Oprah asks Casablancas in the clip "So did you have to groom her?" "Did she always have this body?" Winfrey then tells Cindy Crawford to "stand up just a moment" so that the audience can have a look at her. "This is what I call a body," the TV host says as Cindy stands up. After Cindy has settled into her seat, she breaks the silence to clarify that, contrary to what may have been implied, she does not weigh 100 pounds. Oprah goes on to say "I'm happy for you." She looks at John Casablanca and says " So did you have to do anything with her?" "Did she have to go to that training period or not?"
This would not fly in today's world. I mean, how offensive is that? I'd be upset as well. Unfortunately, people still think and act this way, but women now have a voice and can call them out on their heinous behavior. Which I wholeheartedly support. Thank you very much.
I'm curious if Cindy Crawford ever received the apology she sought from Oprah Winfrey. I hope so, because you are better than that, Oprah!
Photo by VANITY FAIR.
Another stunning woman who gets better with age. Christy Turlington. She decided to leave the modeling industry in order to enroll at New York University and earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative religion and Eastern philosophy. I'm curious to know how many people were aware of this fact.
Christy was born in California, in Walnut Creek. She had two sisters and was the middle child.
Her father was a Pan Am pilot, and her mother was an El Salvadoran flight attendant. She was brought up in a Catholic family.
She is a business partner in an Ayurvedic skincare line called Sundari
Sundari in Sanskrit means "beauty as an experience and an endeavor, rather than an object to be obtained." Every Mother Counts was founded by her in 2010. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother and engaging and mobilizing new audiences to take action and raise funds to support maternal health programs around the world.
She is also a yogi, more specifically a Jivamukti yogi. She also works with the international humanitarian organization CARE and is an ambassador for Product Red as well as an advocate for maternal health.
She has two older children and has been married to Edward Burns for 20 years. May I mention a low-profile relationship. I think that's how ALL relationships should be, but hey, that's just me! They first met in the 90's and had a whirlwind romance before getting engaged only months into their relationship.
Linda Evangelista, known for her chameleon looks was also a serious fashionista. Her birthday is May 10th. Mine is May 11th. She and I are both Taurus. The best zodiac of them all if I may say so myself. She was born to working-class Italian immigrants but was born in Ontario, Canada. Linda is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time having graced the covers of over 700 magazines.
Linda, like the rest of us, has had her ups and downs. She gave an exclusive interview to PEOPLE in which she discussed the cosmetic procedure that severely disfigured her. She had seven CoolSculpting treatments and developed a condition known as paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, or PAH for short. "I hope I can shed some of the shame and help other people who are in the same situation as me," she says.
For more on these legends, watch the Apple TV+ docuseries "The Super Models" from the 1990s runway.
Jamie, xo