Top ’80s Supermodels Who Dominated the Decade: Photos From the Archive

In the ’80s, an anything goes attitude, leftover from ’70s-era excess, it was the big picture for fashion. Models from the ’70s were still very present at the beginning of a decade that offered women a kaleidoscope of inspiration from couture to ready-to-wear. Designer collections from Yves Saint Laurent’s to Donna Karan included power suits and strong shoulders, Willi Smith’s and Perry Ellis kept current with the playful yet wearable comfortable clothes, Thierry Mugler gave fashion theatrical prose and the Japanese designers gave America and Europe the essence of the avant garde. The runway was inclusive of new and familiar faces, including Dalma Callado and Mounia Orsemone. They would be joined by Carol Alt and Paulina Porizkova and Iman, whose careers skyrocketed in the decade. These models would chart a new course for the business of modeling, moving beyond the runway and remaining iconic for decades and counting, while paving the way for the year of the supermodel a decade later.

Here, see the top supermodels of the ’80s.