The main supermodels of the 70s: then and now (10 photos)

Fashion in the 1970s featured a distinctive style focused on expressing individuality: almost cartoonish bell-bottoms, daring miniskirts and bright colors. And at the head of this trend were those who demonstrated these clothes on catwalks and in fashion magazines, which brought them worldwide fame. Here's what the top nine supermodels of the 1970s looked like at the peak of their careers and what they look like now.





1. Janice Dickinson

Janice Dickinson is perhaps one of the most successful models of the 1970s. After winning the Miss High Fashion Model competition, she moved to New York. However, her career did not work out there, and Dickinson moved to Paris, where she achieved great success. By the time she returned to New York in 1978, she was a popular and constantly in-demand model.



Janice Dickinson in 1978 and 2022

In the 1980s, Dickinson's popularity earned her the title of supermodel. When her modeling career began to fade, Dickinson became a fashion photographer to keep herself in the industry. During this time, she also served as a judge on the popular show America's Next Top Model. Now she often appears in other television programs as a guest celebrity.

2. Lauren Hutton

Lauren Hutton is best known for introducing the fashion for gaps between the front teeth. Fashion agencies initially despised this feature, but when Hutton signed a contract with Revlon in 1973, everything changed. Hutton worked as a model most of her life, and even appeared at New York Fashion Week in her 70s.





Lauren Hutton in 1974 and 2019

Like many models, she also tried her hand at acting, starring in the films Paper Lion (1968), The Gambler (1974), American Gigolo (1980) and the TV series Paper Dolls and Nip/Tuck. . Outside of his career, Hutton is a lifelong diver, promoting marine conservation and diving around the world.

3. Grace Jones

Grace Jones began modeling in New York City, signing with Wilhelmina Models in 1966. However, as with Janice Dickinson, she only gained popularity after she moved to Paris in 1970. She modeled for prestigious designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Montana and Kenzo Takada, and appeared on the covers of high fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue.



Grace Jones in 1977 and 2022

In the 1970s, Jones also pursued a music career and has released numerous popular albums over the past few decades. She still performs her music. By the 1980s, she had ventured into yet another industry, starring in numerous films with famous actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tim Curry.

4. Cristina Ferrare

Christina Ferrare began acting at the age of 14, and at the age of 16 she worked as a model for makeup artists at Max Factor. By the age of 20, she was already working as a model and appeared on the covers of various major fashion magazines. Thanks to her successful modeling career, she began to receive offers to act in films.



Cristina Ferrare in 1971 and 2022

Her popularity grew thanks to her appearances in many films in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She starred in The Impossible Years (1968), J W Coop (1968) and Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1972). In 2000, together with her mother, she created the Cristina Ferrare clothing collection. She later began acting in television shows including Big Bowl of Love and Home Show.

5. Patti Hansen

Unlike many supermodels of the 1970s, Patti Hansen did not seek a career in the fashion industry. Model scouts discovered her on their own in 1972 while she was working at a hot dog stand. She was quickly transported to Paris, after which she appeared in many magazines, including Seventeen, American Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar and Esquire.



Patti Hansen in 1976 and 2020

In addition to her work as a model, Hansen is also known for her marriage to Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. She met him when she was just 23 years old, on the dance floor of Studio 54, a famous disco nightclub in New York. The couple married on December 18, 1983, on Richards' 40th birthday.

6. Cheryl Tiegs

Cheryl Tiegs is often called the first American supermodel and a symbol of 70s pop culture. Her career began with a swimsuit commercial during her senior year of high school. Employees of the fashion magazine Glamor saw the advertisement and immediately invited her to the first shoot, and soon Tiegs starred in photo shoots for several magazines at once.



Cheryl Tiegs in 1978 and 2019

The 1978 photo of her in a pink bikini became iconic, and her popularity was unrivaled throughout the 70s. Later in her life, she appeared in various television programs as a guest star.

7. Karen Bjornson

Karen Bjornson is best known as one of the so-called “Halstonettes,” a group of models who accompanied famed designer Roy Halston Frowick, known simply as Halston, everywhere he went. She met him when she came to New York to build a modeling career, and for two years she was one of his muses.



Karen Bjornson in 1972 and 2019

She walked the runway for many different designers, including Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. Although Bjornson retired from fashion in 1989 to become a mother, she returned to the fashion industry at the age of 50.

8. Iman

Model scouts discovered future supermodel Iman in 1975 while she was studying political science at the University of Nairobi. She was extremely successful in her career and became a muse for many designers: Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Yves Saint Laurent. Iman has appeared on the covers of many fashion magazines around the world.



Iman in 1975 and 2022

Iman became so popular that she is still considered one of the greatest supermodels to this day. She married David Bowie in 1992 and they remained together until his death in 2016. The couple met when a mutual friend set them up on a blind date in 1990.

9. Rene Russo

Now Rene Russo is best known as an actress, but when her career first began, she worked as a model. She rose to fame in the 70s after she was spotted at a Rolling Stones concert. Russo became an extremely sought-after model and appeared on the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan.



Rene Russo in 1978 and 2019

Fellow supermodel Brooke Shields even called Russo "the most beautiful creature that ever walked the earth." By the age of 30, Russo left the modeling business for the film industry. Her first film was Major League (1989), but she has starred in several popular films, including Yours, Mine and Ours (2005), The Intern (2015), and several Marvel Thor films, where she played his mother. Frigga.