oldies but goodies

Naomi Campbell as the face of Yves Saint Laurent, fall 2008.
Photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Physically assaulting people isn't the only way that Naomi Campbell knows how to stir up trouble. In a recent interview with The Daily Mirror, a tabloid from the UK, Campbell professed that the golden age of the supermodel is over and that the future is looking rather bleak. In her opinion, the term 'supermodel' is used too loosely and Gisele Bundchen is the youngest lady deserving the title. Campbell notably called out the current "It Girls", Agyness Deyn and Lily Cole, by name and suggested that they have a lot to prove if they wished to be compared to the greats.

I'm sure there are a lot of people ready to defend Agyness Deyn because she has dazzled the industry on the runway and with her personal style as well. Deyn has modeled for a laundry list of companies, including: Anna Sui, Blugirl, Burberry, Cacharel, Gianfranco FeFerrè, Giorgio Armani, Jean Paul Gautier, Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, and on and on. She's also been gaining lots of gossip-press for her romance with Albert Hammond Jr. (formerly?) of The Strokes.

While I recognize that she has accomplished quite a lot and has worked with incredible talents within the fashion industry, I'm taking Naomi's side on this one. In my opinion, Agyness Deyn is no supermodel at least not in the way that old-school models like Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista were.

So what, besides lots of gigs, makes a model super?
Longevity.

Deyn is a Supreme-Fashionista, no one can take that away from her, but she's still relatively new to the industry-- her career didn't really pick up until '07, '06 if we're feeling generous and taking into account the impact of her social life on her publicity. If Deyn can keep getting covers and walking the runway for many more years then she just might earn the title of supermodel. But until then, I'd like to suggest that we reserve that word for the grown folk. These ladies have truly paid their dues and I can only hope to look half as good when I'm in my 40s.

Claudia Schiffer on the cover of German Vogue, June 2008.

Photographed by Mario Testino.

Cindy Crawford in an Italian GQ editorial, January 2008.

Photographed by Vincent Peters.

Christy Turlington in a W magazine editorial, August 2008.

Photographed by Michael Thompson.

Linda Evangelista on the cover of Italian Vogue, June 2008.

Photographed by Steven Meisel.

All photos courtesy of NYMAG.