30 years of Supermodels

Art & Hue presents Supermodels, stylish pop art illustrations of iconic cover girls, available in three sizes and 20 colour options.

These minimal stylised graphic illustrations feature the fabulous supermodels that brought style from the pages of fashion magazines into popular culture.

30 years ago, five fashion models were photographed on the streets of New York by the visionary photographer Peter Lindbergh.

That 1989 image commissioned by editor Liz Tilberis became the cover of the January 1990 issue of British Vogue and heralded the birth of the supermodel.

The five models on the iconic cover were seen by George Michael who asked them to appear in the video for “Freedom 90” and introduced “the supers” to MTV audiences globally.

Nicknamed Supermodels, these were fashion Superstars who became known by the first names – Linda, Naomi, Christy, Cindy, & Tatjana.

The “big five” became household names quickly and provided much needed style to a public starved of glamour, particularly since Dynasty with Joan Collins had come to an end in 1989.

Like a stylish soap opera, opening each new edition of Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar became like tuning in for the next dramatic episode – what would these incredible women be doing and wearing next?

It’s a testament to their rapid success that the supermodels appeared in a car advert by 1993, not typically a progressive format.

Whilst it’s clear the supermodels lived and loved fashion, and were professionally invested in making each catwalk show a triumph for the designer, they also fought for equality and inclusion.