The 70s models have helped with the emerge of the supermodel phenomenon, in which the cover girls of that decade mirrored the changing times. Whether they were breaking down barriers like the historic vogue cover of Beverly Johnson, or changing the beauty standars of the industry like with the distinctive androgynous appearance and bold features of the future Bond Girl Grace Jones.
The 70s models immersed into the popular culture and earned themselves the ‘supermodel’ status, while being actively engaged in other areas such as : art, photography, TV, music, cinema, real state and much more.
Today, we see what have some of our favorite 70s supermodels been up to now since their 70s heydays. Scroll down to find out…
Lauren Hutton
Born : november 17, 1943, South Carolina, U.S.
Age : 79 years old
Years active : 1963_ present.
Then :
During her late teens, Lauren had stints at New York’s Playboy club and Al Hirt’s jazz club in New Orleans. She eventually met and impressed Diana Vreeland, who sent her to Richard Avedon.
Famous for her gap-toothed smile, Lauren Hutton is among the most successful 70s models. Lauren became Vogue’s favourite covergirl. She went on to book over 25 covers between 1966 and 1975.
She was the first model to sign an exclusive cosmetics contract with revlon in ’73. At the time that contract made the highest-paid model in the world.
She also pursued a career as an actress, starring alongside Richard Gere in American Gigolo.
Now :
Even at the age of 79, Hutton has continued to model into her seventies. she has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns for H&M, Lord and Taylor, and Alexander Wang. She also performed on the runway for Tom Ford’s spring 2012 collection, as well as for Bottega Veneta at the 2016 New York Fashion Week.
She’s also a writer publishing a book in 2013 detailing her crazy journey through life.
Cheryl Tiegs
Born : september 25, 1947, Minnesota, U.S.
Age : 75 years old
Years active : 1964_2019
Then :
Cheryl Tiegs began modeling at 16, working for department stores for $25 a day. Her first major campaign was a swimsuit ad that appeared in Seventeen. She went on to make multiple appearances on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Time magazine.
After her many modeling gigs, Tiegs went on to collaborate with brands on clothing lines. She also appeared on TV and in a couple of movies, and work with environmental organizations.
Now :
And these days, she’s living a much slower life and taking it easy after working since she was a teenager.
Marisa Berenson
Born : February 15, 1947, New York City , U.S.
Age : 76 years old
Years active : 1967_present
Then :
Marisa Berenson was born to style, her grandmother was the legendary couturier Elsa Schiaparelli.
Yves Saint Laurent called her ‘the girl of the 1970s’, while Elle magazine declared her ‘the most beautiful girl in the world’.
Marissa began modeling at 16-years-old and Diana Vreeland eventually took the star under her wing.
She worked with the most storied ’70s designers including YSL, Azzedine Alaïa, and Halston, as well as legendary photographers Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Irving Penn.
She appeared on the front covers of Vogue and Time, and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Natalia Landauer in the 1972 film Cabaret . The role also earned her Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations.
In 2001, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of Design for Living.
Now :
Marisa Berenson’s heyday is far from over. At Tom Ford’s exclusive spring 2011 catwalk show, she walked down the runway in a figure-hugging, glittering royal-blue sheath dress in the company of Beyoncé and Julianne Moore.
In August 2016 she appeared in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Garrick Theatre in London, as Lady Capulet.
Berenson is currently the chairman of the board of Culture Project, an organization that sponsors the theater.
Beverly Johnson
Born : October 13, 1952, New York, U.S.
Age : 70 years old
Years active : 1971_present
Then :
Beverly Johnson is arguably the most famous and infuencial 70s models. She paved the way for African American models, breaking down many racial barriers in the ’70s. And was named by The New York Times to be one of the most influential people in fashion of the 20th century.
Beverly started modeling in 1971 while on summer break in college. She went on to appear on more than 500 magazine covers, and walking the runway for Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and many more.
Gorgeous Beverly Johnson made worldwide headlines when she became the first Black model to land the cover of American Vogue in 1974. As well as the first Black model to cover French Elle that following year.
Johnson also went on to act in several movies; star as celebrity judge on the TV Land reality series, “She’s Got the Look,”
Now :
In 2012 she launched the Beverly Johnson Luxurious Lifestyle Brand of hair and skin care products, which were sold at Target stores.
In 2022, Johnson received the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization’s Model Pioneer Award at the United Nations, celebrating her as a trailblazer and innovator in her field.
That same year, She returned to the runway, walking for designers Sergio Hudson and Bibhu Mohapatra at New York Fashion Week.
Karen Graham
Born : in Gulfport, Mississippi in 1945.
Age : 78 years old.
Years active : 1970- 1985.
Then :
Karen Graham was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and moved to New York City after completing college. While shopping one afternoon, she met famed model agency owner Eileen Ford, who encouraged Graham to become a model.
Graham was a very successful model, she was the first exclusively-contracted model for Esteé Lauder from 1970-1985. She was also a muse to photographers Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.
Graham was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine 20 times between 1970 and 1975.
Graham quit modeling in 1985 when she turned 40, while she was still on top.
Now :
After leaving the modeling world, Graham She moved to the Catskill Mountain region of New York to pursue a career in fly fishing.
In 1999, She returned for a brief modeling stint with Estée Lauder. Graham was fifty-four at the time and agreed to the job as long as the company allowed her to be herself and not present her as someone younger.
Graham currently lives in North Carolina, ties flies, and continues to practice her belief in catch and release.
Dayle Haddon
Born : May 26, 1948, Quebec, Canada.
Age : 75 years old.
Years active : 1973- present.
Then :
As a model in the 1970s and 1980s, Haddon is the only model who has held four major cosmetic contracts, representing Max Factor, Revlon, Estee Lauder and L’Oréal.
A former pageant queen, Hadden also appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1973, and was twice named to Harper’s Bazaar’s “Ten Most Beautiful Women.” She also appeared nude in the April 1973 issue of Playboy.
Hadden also tried acting, Her best known roles were in Madame Claude (1977), and North Dallas Forty (1979) opposite actor Nick Nolte.
Haddon also served as a wellness contributor to CBS News where she appeared regularly on The Early Show from 2005 to 2008.
Additionally, she is credited as author of Ageless Beauty: A Woman’s Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being.
Dayle Haddon shattered age taboos as the first supermodel representing women over 40 with her multiyear contracts with L’Oréal and Estée Lauder.
Now :
The 74 year old beauty is still modeling and is currently represented by iconic focus models.
She also has her own company, Dayle Haddon Concepts Inc, and travels the world as a spokesperson for L’Oreal to inspire and offer practical solutions in the areas of spirit, wisdom, beauty, and wellness for women.
Rene Russo
Born : February 17, 1954, California, U.S.
Age : 69 years old.
Years active : 1973- present.
Then :
After being scouted at a Rolling Stones concert in 1972, Rene Russo was signed to Ford Modeling Agency and her career took off.
She became one of the top models of the 1970s and early 1980s, appearing on magazine covers such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
After a successful decade run, the modelling work started to dry up. she retired from modeling at 30-years-old and went on to have a successful acting career.
She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy Major Leage, and rose to international prominence in a number of thrillers and action films throughout the 1990s, including Lethal Weapon (1992), In the Line of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1995), Get Shorty (1995), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).
Now :
in recent years we haven’t seen her as much as we used to.
These days, Russo is happier tending her garden and running her dairy business than performing.
Grace Jones
Born : May 19, 1948, Jamaica.
Age : 75 years old.
Years active : 1973- present.
Then :
Born in Jamaica, the singer, supermodel, and actress moved with her family to New York as a teenager in the 1960s.
Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves St. Laurent and Kenzo, and appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue.
She notably worked with photographers such as Jean-Paul Goude, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer, and became known for her distinctive androgynous appearance and bold features.
In 1977, She transitioned from modeling into music, releasing 10 albums, and famously frequenting Studio 54.
And 10 years later, she would land her first major acting role as a Bond girl in A View to a Kill alongside Roger Moore.
In December 2016, Billboard Magazine ranked her as the 40th most successful dance artist of all time.
Now :
At age 75, Jones is still as bold, beautiful, and busy as ever. She is the new face of Wolford, the luxury designer brand revealed at an immersive installation in Milan this year.
Margaux Hemingway
Born : February 16, 1954, Oregon, U.S.
Died : July 1, 1996.
Age : 42 years old.
Years active : 1975- 1996.
Then :
The granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, the six-foot-tall Margaux Hemingway burst onto the fashion scene in 1975.
In a few short years, she became the first supermodel to land a million-dollar contract for Fabergé, as the spokesmodel for Babe perfume.
Hemingway went on to appear on the covers of Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue at the peak of her career.
A staple at Studio 54, Hemingway eventually retired from modeling and had a brief film career.
she made her film debut in the film Lipstick (1976), alongside her 14-year-old sister Mariel, and Anne Bancroft.
Death :
In the last years of her life, her decades-long career had been marred by a public struggle with addiction.
on July 1, 1996, supermodel Margaux Hemingway died of an intentional overdose at 42 years old.
Jerry Hall
Born : July 2, 1956, Texas, U.S.
Age : 67 years old.
Years active : 1975- present.
Then :
Jerry Hall was first scouted as a model by fashion agent Claude Haddad while on a beach in the French Riviera.
By 1977, Hall had already featured on 40 magazine covers, including the likes of Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
Hall was also famous for her high profile relationships. She was the girlfriend and muse of Bryan Ferry, then went on to marry Mick Jagger.
Hall has done a fair bit of acting over the years. She had small roles in 1980’s Urban Cowboy opposite John Travolta and as one of the molls to Jack Nicholson’s Joker in 1989’s Batman.
In 2016 Hall won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fashion Group International Dallas for her contributions to the industry.
In 2016, Hall, then 59, married 84-year-old media mogul Rupert Murdoch, but divorced in 2022.
Now :
Today, she keeps a relatively low profile and has largely stepped back from modelling.
She is more involved in politics and has found a new passion away from the flash of cameras.
Patti Hansen
Born : March 17, 1956, New York City, U.S.
Age : 67 years old.
Years active : 1972- present.
Then :
Patti Hansen was discovered in 1972 at the age of 14, by photographer Peter Gert, while working at her father’s hot dog stand in Staten Island.
During Hansen’s modeling career, she appeared on the covers and in the pages of Seventeen, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Harper’s Bazaar.
She also had campaigns for Calvin Klein , Revlon, Versace, and André Courrèges.
At the height of her fame, Hansen appeared on the December 1978 cover of Esquire, celebrating “The Year of the Lusty Woman”.
Patti Hansen was a fixture on the Studio 54 scene and at 23-years-old, she met her future husband Keith Richards on the dance floor. The pair have been married since 1983.
In the early 1980s, Hansen stopped modeling and began acting. She appeared in only three feature films,
In 1993, Hansen returned to modeling when designer Calvin Klein used 1970s-era models for his 1993 collection.
Now :
In February 2019, she walked the runway for Michael Kors for his Studio 54-inspired Fall 2019 collection.
