Sindy in Vogue

Image: part of Vogue Christmas Cover Shoot, 1949

irving penn

1 9 1 7 - 2 0 0 9

Irving Penn was an American photographer best known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn was one of the earliest photographers to pose subjects against a simple grey or white backdrop where he effectively showcased its simplicity.

Penn's career included work at Vogue magazine, his first photographic cover for Vogue magazine appeared in October 1943.

alber elbaz

1 9 6 1 - 2 0 2 1

Image: Designer Alber Elbaz at Lanvin Alber Elbaz was an Israeli fashion designer. Having done stints at a number of fashion houses, including Geoffrey Beene, Guy Laroche, and Yves Saint Laurent. He is perhaps best known for his role as creative director of Lanvin in Paris, a position he held from 2001 until 2015.

During his 14-year tenure, he was credited with the house’s renewed appeal thanks to Elbaz’s “classic with a twist”. His take on silk cocktail dresses and other feminine designs, often playing with colour or other unusual variations on hallmark elegance.

Image: Karl Lagerfeld

karl lagerfeld

1 9 3 3 - 2 0 1 9

Karl Lagerfeld was a German creative director, fashion designer, artist, photographer, and caricaturist. He was best known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position he held from 1983 until his death.

He was also creative director of the Italian fur and leather goods fashion house Fendi, and of his own eponymous fashion label. Lagerfeld was recognized for his signature white hair, black sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and high, starched, detachable collars.

Image: Vogue Cover for January 1990

peter lindbergh

1 9 4 4 - 2 0 1 9

Peter Lindbergh was a German fashion photographer and film director. In 1989, he shot young, little known models Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford, all together for the January 1990 British Vogue cover. It's been said that this is the photoshoot that launched the era of the 'Supermodel'.

Lindbergh was also the first photographer in the 50-year history of the Pirelli calendar to be invited to photograph it for a third time, for its 2017 edition. He had previously photographed it in 1996 and again in 2002.

Images: (above) The Reunion still from movie Nowness, 2015 ; (right) the 'white shirts' shoot for American Vogue, circa 1988

Birth of a Supermodel: Following the Vogue cover, this group of models were subsequently cast to star in the music video for George Michael's "Freedom! '90". By then, Campbell, Turlington, Evangelista, Crawford and Claudia Schiffer had formed as an elite group of models declared "supermodels" by the fashion industry. With the addition of newcomer Kate Moss, they were collectively known as the "Big Six".

Doll Squad

In 1996 Hasbro Inc. launched a trio of Top Model Dolls inspired by original supermodels Karen Mulder, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell. Here's the gloss..

Hot off the catwalk the story goes that in 1995 the chairman of Hasbro Inc., Alan Hassenfeld, was playing tennis with film producer JeanYves Le Fur where he asked Hasbro whether they would be interested in making a toy doll which looked like his then supermodel girlfriend, Karen Mulder (at this time Mulder's off-the-runway career was managed by JeanYves Le Fur).

Not long after they put down their racquets Mr H. contacted Mr L. and told him that Hasbro wanted to follow up on the supermodel doll idea. They subsequently agreed that three 'supermodel' Sindy dolls should be manufactured: so joining Karen Mulder would be fellow 'supers' Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell.

Despite having a very fashionable launch in the grand French department store Galeries Lafayette in March of 1996, the trio of superdolls were sold exclusively in the U.K. where a donation from every one sold went to the International Red Cross.

SUPER DOLLS: Naomi Campbell poses with her doll during the launch of the Claudia Schiffer, Karen Mulder and Naomi Campbell Dolls on March 19, 1996 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty Images); Sindy doll Naomi is pretty in pink; The Hasbro Sindy Dolls in all their boxed glory.

The gowns each doll wears were designed by John Galliano for Givenchy and Christian Lacroix and approved by the supermodels themselves. The dolls retailed for approx. £9.99 each in 1996.

TOP MODELS: Sindy doll Claudia shimmering in silver; the supers graced the cover of the short-lived Elle Top Model magazine in July/August 1996; A page from the Top Model feature; Karen Mulder with her lookalike Sindy; Sindy doll Karen glitters in gold