(Image from Apple TV+ Press).

The upcoming docuseries, The Super Models, will give watchers a never-seen-before insight into the Nineties fashion scene and the models who strutted their way to superstardom. 

 

The Recent Trailer

 

 

In a recently released trailer, the docuseries highlights exclusive interviews with Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington, who all revisit and discuss their legendary careers (Youtube, 2023). The intrigue and desire to catch a glimpse of what life was like back in the Eighties and Nineties fashion world is one that has pervaded for generations, and now we’re finally going to see it for ourselves. As Naomi Campbell stresses, “you see our photo. So, you feel as if you know us” (Youtube, 2023). 

 

Directed by Academy Award and Emmy award winners Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills and produced by Academy Award and Emmy award-winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the docuseries’ trailer already entices a lot more to learn in the series. With various different shots of the models from their nineties’ past and their current selves, the trailer whistle-stops a tour of their iconic impact on the fashion world with the models’ and others’ words explaining what it was like. 

 

The trailer notes the closeness between Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista, and Turlington, and their renowned appearance in the late George Michael’s music video for Freedom, a song which plays in the background of the trailer. Campbell recalls how she was the first supermodel pitched to do his famous music video, with later clips showing the models lip-syncing the lyrics (The News, 2023).

 

More importantly, it highlights how these supermodels did not just wear clothes, but “were the physical representations of power” and “brought their artistry to the image” (Youtube, 2023). This is even evidenced in the production of the series itself, as the four supermodels are also executive producers for the show (Deadline, 2020). With appearances and interviews by other famous figures in the fashion industry, such as Marc Jacobs, the trailer promises a very detailed and well-produced documentary.

 

What Is the Documentary About?

 

The Super Models starts by taking us back to the late 1980s when four different women across the globe met in New York. Already forced in their own right, their coming together transcended the industry itself (Martin Cid Magazine, 2023). It will revisit the quartet’s monumental careers by following their story to fame and how their names became as prominent, if not more so, than the designers who styled them (Harpers Bazaar, 2023). 

 

Each episode in the four-part docuseries features commentary from some of the biggest names in fashion and culture, with contributors including: Fabien Baron, Jeanne Beker, Emily Bierman, Tim Blanks, Martin Brading, Paul Cavaco, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Grace Coddington, Sante D’orazio, Charles DeCaro, Arthur Elgort, Edward Enninful, David Fincher, Tom Freston, John Galliano, Garren, Robin Givhan, Tonne Goodman, Michael Gross, Bethann Hardison, Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Rocco Laspata, Suzy Menkes, Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Musto, François Nars, Todd Oldham, Hal Rubenstein, Anna Sui, Annie Veltri, Donatella Versace and Vivienne Westwood (Apple TV+ Press, 2023). Having walked for all the major fashion houses – in up to eight shows a day sometimes – it is unsurprising the staggeringly long list of famous names that have joined in to provide their own perspectives on the famous supermodel quartet (Glamour Magazine, 2023).

 

According to a statement from AppleTV+, “As the fashion industry continues to redefine itself, this is the ultimate story of power and how four women came together to claim it, paving the way for those to follow. Today, the four supermodels remain focal points of culture through activism, philanthropy, and business prowess” (Apple TV+ Press, 2023).

 

When the series was first announced in 2020, Campbell shared her excitement, writing on Instagram: “My sisters Christy, Linda, Cindy, and I are extremely thrilled to share our story with the world and there could be no better partners than Brian Grazer and Ron Howard – which is a dream come true – to bring it to life, as we knew they would respect and honour our story. We hope our journey, as seen in the docuseries, will encourage, motivate, and inspire young people around the world. We look forward to this great adventure ahead with director Barbara Kopple” (Deadline, 2020).

 

In the words of Evangelista, from an Instagram post in 2020, she shared: “I would love for people to see this as a celebration of not only our individual stories, but also to the power of friendship, dreams, and perseverance” (Elle, 2023).

 

“I’m excited to reunite with my friends to both celebrate and examine the way supermodels transcended the traditional perceptions and limits of modelling in the fashion industry through time”, Crawford added on Instagram (Deadline, 2020).

 

When Will It Air?

The Super Models will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 20 of this year. Intentionally or not, it will be airing during fashion month, in particular during Milan Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2024 (which runs from September 19 to September 25).

 

Edited by: Shahnawaz Chodhry