From Iman and Anna Bayle to Jerry Hall and Janice Dickinson, these are the legendary 80s models that defined the era of excess, and paved the way for the It girls of the ’90s.
Below, check out the top 10 who epitomized the more-is-more mindset of the ’80s.
Janice Dickinson
Born : February 16, 1955, New York City , U.S.
Age : 76 years old
Years active : 1969_present
Then :
In the early ’70s, Janice Dickinson moved to New York City to pursue modeling after winning “Miss High Fashion Model.” She was eventually discovered by photographer Jacques Silberstein.
After launching her career in the late 70s, Dickinson became a seriously powerful supermodel back in the 1980s.
She walked the runways and starred in campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Valentino, and Oscar de la Renta, Gianni Versace, and Calvin Klein. And covered Harper’s BAZAAR several times.
She also went on to cover all of the top fashion magazines, including Marie Claire.
Years later, in 2003, Dickinson acted as a judge alongside Tyra Banks on the reality competition America’s Next Top Model.
Now :
Janice Dickinson looks completely unrecognisable today due to plastic surgaries that she had done over the years.
In August 2015, Dickinson became a housemate on the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother.
Currently, Dickinson is married to Dr. Robert ‘Rocky’ Gerner. The pair had been engaged since 2012 and tied the knot in 2016.
In 2020, Dickinson appeared on season 24 of The Bachelor.
In 2023, she was scheduled to appear on I’m a Celebrity… South Africa, but had to withdraw from the show, after she suffered a head injury, which required her being taken to hospital.
Christie Brinkley
Born : February 2, 1954, Michigan, U.S
Age : 69 years old.
Years active : 1973- present.
Then :
Brinkley gained worldwide fame with her appearances in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, ultimately appearing on an unprecedented three consecutive covers in 1979, 1980, and 1981. Those covers led to major contracts with Chanel, Vogue and Max Factor.
Christie Brinkley spent 25 years as the face of CoverGirl, and has appeared on over 500 magazine covers.
Brinkley went on to work as an actress, illustrator , television personality, photographer, writer, designer, and activist for human and animal rights and the environment.
Now :
Brinkley is now a successful businesswoman, designer and actress.
In 2019, Christie made a guest appearance as Aleah Welsh on the series The Goldbergs.
And In 2022, Brinkley competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as “Lemur” of Team Cuddly.
Inès de La Fressange
Born : August 11, 1957, France.
Age : 65 years old
Years active : 1974- present
Then :
Inès de La Fressange was born to an Argentine model mother and French stockbroker father.
She began modelling in 1974 at the age of 17, walking for big names like Christian Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint-Laurent.
In 1983 La Fressange became the first model ever to sign an exclusive modelling contract with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel.
Now :
Inspired by fashion and the designers, she decided to create her own brand “Inès de la Fressange Paris,” of which she is the artistic director today.
After writing many pieces on the style of Parisians, she became interested in the style of their apartments with the release of her book “Sous les toits de Paris” (“Under the roofs of Paris”).
Since 2013, La Fressange has also been designing for the Japanese brand Uniqlo.
This collaboration is a LifeWear collection that embodies her aim of “bringing the effortless style of France to the world”.
Inès also collaborated with the shoe brand Roger Vivier, which she helped relaunch and of which she is an ambassador.
Iman
Born : July 25, 1955, Banaadir, Trust Territory of Somaliland.
Age : 67 years old.
Years active : 1975- present.
Then :
born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid The statuesque stunner was discovered in 1975, while in college in Kenya.
Iman’s distinctive slender figure and tall stature ensured she quickly became one of the biggest 80s models.
Her first modeling assignment was for Vogue a year later in 1976. She soon appeared on the cover of some of the world’s most prestigious magazines, establishing herself as a supermodel.
She was the muse of many prominent fashion designers, inspiring the likes of Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Yves Saint Laurent.
Iman was married to rock musician David Bowie from 1992 until his death in 2016.
Iman made a successful transition from model to entrepreneur in 1994 when she launched Iman Cosmetics, which focuses on hard-to-find shades of make-up for women.
It’s still one of the most popular cosmetics lines in the US and continues to turn a profit each year.
Now :
In late 2021, Iman released her signature fragrance, “Love Memoir”. The color of the amber bottle is a nod to the sunsets she and her husband enjoyed.
She is currently an ambassador for several charities including Save the Children and the Keep a Child Alive programme.
Kelly Emberg
Born : July 2, 1959, Texas, U.S.
Age : 64 years old.
Years active : 1978- present.
Then :
Kelly Emberg was in high school, a member of the school’s female drill team, when she was discovered by a local photographer in Houston.
She eventually moved to New York City where she signed with Elite Model Management.
Kelly appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour and Cosmopolitan magazines.
She also made multiple appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, as well as book campaigns with CoverGirl and Calvin Klein.
Now :
After her modeling career, Emberg attended UCLA studying interior design. She worked for interior designer Michael S. Smith and owns The Cotton Box, with a shop on Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles.
Emberg’s interest in gardening created her current career as Kelly Emberg: The Model Gardener, in which she provides advice and encourages people to grow their own organic vegetables.
Anna Bayle
Born : December 6, 1956, Philippines.
Age : 66 years old.
Years active : 1976- 1994.
Then :
Anna Bayle was a pre-medical student at the University of the Philippines when her friends encouraged her to enter the Miss World beauty pageant in 1976.
It was here that fashion designer Auggie Cordero noticed Bayle and began mentoring her for a career in modelling.
Bayle then shot to international fame when she replaced Billie Blair in the Hong Kong Trade Fashion Show.
Anna Bayle made history as the first American Asian supermodel.
She walked the runways of Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Chanel, Dior,YSL, and Oscar de la Renta. She also graced countless magazine covers, including international editions of Harper’s BAZAAR.
Bayle decided to retire from modeling in 1994, deciding to “end on a high note.”
Now :
After her divorce, Bayle stepped away from her career to take care of her son Callum. And as Callum grew older and more independent, she became a real estate broker in New York City.
she currently works as the beauty editor for online fashion publication Lookonline, and a runway coach.
Carol Alt
Born : December 1, 1960, New York City, U.S.
Age : 62 years old.
Years active : 1979- present.
Then :
The Queens native dominated the modeling world in the ’80s, She was known as ‘The Face’ in the modelling world due to her distinctive looks.
Alt’s big break was in 1982 when she was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
she went on to appear on over 500 magazine covers, becoming one of the most famous models of her era, attaining supermodel status.
Alt graced the covers of Vogue, Mademoiselle, Elle and Cosmopolitan.
During the height of her popularity, she was the face of ad campaigns for Diet Pepsi, General Motors, Cover Girl Cosmetics, Hanes, Givenchy , Versace, Armani and numerous others.
Alt also tried her hand at acting appearing in a number of Italian films during the 1980s.
Now :
Carol still models and acts, most recently appeared in the TV series Paper Empire alongside Wesley Snipes.
She is also a successful entrepreneur, creating her own line of raw skincare, a best-selling author on Raw Food and Nutrition, and was the host of A Healthy You & Carol Alt on FOX News Channel.
Kim Alexis
Born : July 15, 1960, New York City, U.S.
Age : 63 years old.
Years active : 1978- present.
Then :
Kim Alexis is part of the 80s models elite team. Kim’s career started when she was discovered at 17 in a Buffalo agency.
From that point on, she could be seen repeatedly on over 500 magazine covers worldwide, including; Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour.
In 1983 she became the face of Revlon’s premium Ultima II line, replacing Lauren Hutton.
Alexis also appeared in the 1993 movie Body Bags, and the 1998 movie Holy Man with Eddie Murphy.
Now :
After becoming a mother to her three sons, Alexis admits that she failed to look after her business interests enough.
Instead, she raised her family in Tampa, Florida alongside her ex-husband Ron Duguay.
Now 63, Alexis is currently doing modelling work for L’Oreal.
Cristina Córdula
Born : October 30, 1964, Brazil.
Age : 58 years old.
Years active : 1980- present.
Then :
Cristina Córdula was the original Brazilian beauty dominating the fashion world.
During a fashion show in Milan, a friend hairstylist in São Paulo recommended her to cut her hair.
With her new haircut, her international modeling career took off. The look garnered the attention of the leading maisons, and she soon became a fixture at shows for Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent.
Now :
Settled in France, Cristina presents several restyling programmes on M6 and Téva.
From 2013 to 2021, Cristina Cordula hosted the flagship show of her career: Les Reines du Shopping. Which made her at that time the personal shopper of the French.
Jill Goodacre
Born : March 29, 1964, Texas, U.S.
Age : 59 years old.
Years active : Early 1980s- present.
Then :
Texas-born model Jill Goodacre helped bring worldwide attention to a then little-known lingerie company called Victoria’s Secret in the early 80s.
She was one of Victoria Secret’s main models in the 1980s and early 1990s, she appeared extensively in the catalogs.
Goodacre, Stephanie Seymour and Dutch model Frederique helped Victoria’s Secret grow from a new company to worldwide giant it is today.
Now :
Goodacre married Harry Connick Jr in 1994 and decided to retire from modelling for good in order to raise their family.
