The Girl Karl Lagerfeld Called "The New Bardot"
In 1987, a 17-year-old German girl was dancing at a nightclub in Dusseldorf when she was approached by the head of a modeling agency. Within two years, Karl Lagerfeld had personally cast her as the face of Chanel, calling her "the new Brigitte Bardot." Within three, she was one of the most famous women on earth.
Claudia Schiffer didn't just participate in the supermodel era of the 1990s — she helped define it.
The Making of a Supermodel
Born in 1970 in Rheinberg, a small city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schiffer was tall, blonde, and — by her own admission — painfully shy. The nightclub discovery was her first contact with the fashion industry. The Lagerfeld casting was her second.
Everything moved fast after that:
- 1989: Signed as the face of Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld himself
- 1990: Appeared on the cover of British Vogue
- 1990s: Became one of the "Big Five" or "Big Six" supermodels alongside Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Kate Moss
- Appeared on over 1,000 magazine covers during her career — a number rivaled by almost no one
The Guess Years
Before Chanel, Schiffer's breakthrough came with Guess jeans. The black-and-white campaigns, shot by Ellen von Unwerth, became some of the most iconic fashion photographs of the era. They positioned Schiffer as a classic beauty with a retro sensibility — Bardot for the 90s.
Lingerie and the Body Politic
Schiffer's role in lingerie history is tied to the era she represented. The early 1990s were the last period when a small group of supermodels could command the entire fashion conversation. These women didn't just model clothes — they were brands unto themselves, appearing in lingerie campaigns for major European houses and defining what "sexy" meant for a generation.
Schiffer appeared in numerous lingerie and underwear campaigns, including landmark advertisements that helped establish the template Victoria's Secret would later adopt for its Angels program.
The Business of Being Claudia
Unlike some of her peers, Schiffer maintained a relatively low profile off the runway. She married film producer Matthew Vaughn, settled in England, and built a quieter second act:
- Launched her own fashion and design collaborations
- Became a curator and collector, organizing fashion exhibitions
- Served as a UNICEF ambassador
- Published photography books documenting her career and the supermodel era
Why She Matters
Schiffer, along with Crawford, Campbell, and the other supers, proved that models could be more valuable than the brands they represented. This was revolutionary. Before the 90s supermodels, designers were the stars. After them, the model became the product — a shift that led directly to the Victoria's Secret Angels, the modern influencer economy, and the celebrity-brand partnerships that now define the lingerie industry.
Over 1,000 magazine covers. The quiet German girl who became the face of an entire decade.