The Supermodels of the 1980s

Before Cindy Crawford became a supermodel, she was on a scholarly track. She was her high school's Valedictorian and studying chemical engineering at Northwestern University before she dropped out to pursue modeling. In 1982, she won Elite Model Management’s "Look of the Year" contest and within months the U.S. had fallen in love with her all-American look. She become one of the original Big Six supermodels, and had the most commercial success of all the girls.

After spending her pre-teen years starring in films such as Pretty Baby (1978) and Blue Lagoon (1980), Brooke Shields made waves in the fashion industry covering the most popular fashion magazines and appearing in Calvin Klein's controversial jean ads. Her bold brows, impeccable bone structure, and long hair were iconic.

Christie Brinkley didn’t dream of becoming a supermodel. In fact, she was hesitant to abandon her career as an illustrator. But that all changed after she caught the attention of American photographer on the streets of Paris. She decided to embrace the industry and the rest was history. She covered the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition three consecutive times (1979-1981) and starred in national campaigns for Chanel Beauty and Cover Girl. She also had a high-profile relationship with Billy Joel, in which time she inspired his famous song, "Uptown Girl."

Iman was discovered in 1975 by Peter Beard who saw her on the street in Nairobi and was taken with her statuesque Somalian beauty. At the time she was at university majoring in political science and fluent in five different languages. She exploded onto the fashion scene, booked many major fashion spreads and covers, and served as a muse to the likes of Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karen. She went on to win the affections of another '70s icon, David Bowie, who she married in 1992. The supermodel became a CEO in 1994, launching makeup brand IMAN Cosmetics to serve women of color in a time when the beauty industry largely ignored their needs.

At the beginning of her career, Elle Macpherson pursued modeling to earn money to pay for her law books at Sydney University. The Australian beauty moved to New York City, only planning to stay a year, but found instant success. By 1986, she had appeared in all the major fashion magazines and covered the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, and 2006. Her unparalleledd physique earned her the nickname "The Body".

Carol Alt was enrolled in college on an army scholarship and participating in military drills around the time she was discovered. A photographer walked into a restaurant where she was waitressing and told her she should model. She was introduced to Elite Model Management founder John Casablancas and was offered a contract on the spot. She went on to become one of the most famous cover stars of the ’80s and walk the runway for the likes of Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

Paulina Porizkova’s modeling career began swiftly after a chance encounter with an Elite Model Management scout on the streets of Sweden. She went on to appear in numerous magazines, star in campaigns for Estée Lauder, Maybelline, Escada, and more, as well as cover the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 1984.

Kim Alexis began modeling at 18 after being discovered by Elite Model Management. Although she did high profile fashion work, she became best know for beauty after replacing Lauren Hutton as the face of Revlon's Ultimate II line. She appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover for 6 consecutive years.

Denmark-born Renée Simonsen's modeling career, which began as a means of paying for university, began when she won the "Face of the Eighties" model search in 1982. She found instant success, starring in major campaigns and covering numerous magazines. Despite being offered to auction for the role of Bond Girl in the next James Bond film, she left modeling at 24 to continues her studies. Today, she’s educated in psychology and is a full-time writer.

In 1987, a teenaged Tatjana Patitz entered the popular Elite Models' "Look of the Year" competition and placed third. Though she didn't win the contest, Patitz's unique look and energy caught the attention of fashion publications across the world, subsequently launching her into stardom. Patitz worked consistently as a model for the rest of the 80s, but it was the 1990 now-iconic black and white image of her with Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford that officially stamped her as a supermodel. She went on to model in various versions of Vogue, Elle, and Cosmopolitan while still making time to walk runways all over the world and appear in lucrative advertising campaigns.

Linda Evangelista can also credit her start in the modeling world to Elite Model Management; she was discovered by a scout from the world famous modeling agency in 1981 and officially began modeling in 1984 after a brief run as Miss Teen Niagara. Evangelista relocated to New York City to begin what would be a dream career as a model. She began a close working relationship with Chanel's Karl Lagerfield as well as Gianni Versace, additionally modeling for major brands such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Comme des Garçons, and Max Mara.

Dubbed the "color chameleon of fashion" for her ever-changing hairstyles, Evangelista's decision to chop off all of her hair in 1988, inspiring women all over the world to visit their local salons for "The Linda."

Years after women's lingerie company Victoria's Secret launched in 1977, it tapped Jill Goodacre to be one of the faces of its brand alongside models Stephanie Seymour and Frederique. The Texas native's time as a model for VS definitely contributed to the early success of the brand, making it a leader in the industry even as it developed to include loungewear, activewear, and perfume.

Goodacre married singer and actor Harry Connick Jr. in 1994, and the couple are the proud parents of three girls.

A Victoria's Secret Angel long before the Angels existed, Stephanie Seymour is known most notably for being one of the famous faces to model for the lingerie brand. She appeared in multiple editions of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Vogue, and even Playboy during her lasting career.

When Karen Alexander first began visiting modeling agencies, she was rejected by some of the industry's most influential scouts including Eileen Ford and John Casablancas. She was eventually picked up by Legends Agency, and had a successful career that’s lasted over two decades, with Alexander starring in a Tiffany & Co. campaign in Fall 2008.

Love her or hate her, there's no denying that Janice Dickinson was a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry. She started modeling in the late 70s but was considered a supermodel by the time that the 80s finally rolled around, one of the first models to be represented by Elite Model Management. Dickinson worked with Oscar de la Renta, Gianni Versace, and Calvin Klein.

Years later, the model joined Tyra Banks on her reality competition America's Next Top Model. Dickinson was notorious for being the sternest judge on ANTM, often dishing out harsh criticism to the aspiring models whenever possible.

Scouted as a teenager by Elite Model Management at age 17, Ireland became one of the most recognizable faces in fashion when her 1989 Sports Illustrated cover was released to the public—to this day, Ireland's cover is still hailed as one of the best in the publication's history.

The supermodel didn't just stick to modeling; Ireland also pursued an acting career and even started her own business in 1993. Today, the Forbes Magazine-recognized kathy ireland Worldwide sells an impressively wide variety of lifestyle products, including fashion, fine jewelry, intimate apparel, and even skincare.