Mature Models Are In: '90s Supermodels Are In-Demand
These supermodels are still thriving, strutting on runways and posing for the camera, even in their 40s and beyond.
Beri Smither, 53, is still thriving in her modeling career, decades after she first started. In fact, according to her recent interview with The Post, Smither is landing just as many gigs as she did when she began in 1989.
Smither is not alone. The model, who has graced the covers of Elle, Vogue, Allure, and more, is part of a wave of '90s supermodels making a comeback. Christy Turlington, 55, Liisa Winkler, 46, Shalom Harlow, 55, and Naomi Campbell, 54, have all walked the runways in recent years. Gen Z has been seeking out the iconic Victoria's Secret models and fashionistas of decades ago, and now runways and designers are following suit.
Supermodels were once discovered in organic ways – through scouts at malls or in big cities – unlike today, where social media fame, celebrity ties, or "nepo babies" dominate the entertainment and fashion industry. Smither fondly recalled a “purer” time in modeling before internet virality took over, noting how the '90s brought a certain prestige to the profession. “Back when I was doing it, the exposure would be in periodicals, paper, magazines, whereas now, it’s just disseminated all over the internet,” she told the outlet. “Everyone’s looking for content.”
She may not be making "Get Ready With Mes" on TikTok, but Smither has kept her career alive through what she calls "preservation," that is, a holistic approach to wellness. “You want to preserve, you want to take care of yourself,” she explained. “It’s not only physical, it’s internal, it’s spiritual, it’s mental.”
More importantly, she healed her poor relationship with food, is 26 years sober, and recovered from an eating disorder. “I’ve exercised obsessively, and I’ve binged the night before a shoot and woke up at, like, 4 a.m. to get on the hotel treadmill and burn it off for two hours,” she said, describing her habits as “insane.”
Model Liisa Winkler, 46, calls the demand for experienced and mature models “refreshing.” She's one of the supermodels staying booked and busy.
“When I turned 20, I remember my agent [saying], ‘Just keep saying you’re 19,’ because that’s basically telling me it’s kind of old,” Winkler told the outlet, saying she remembers “saying you’re in your teens” was “more exciting to people.” Now, brands are touting beautiful models of all ages on runways, from new moms to women over 40.
As long as they're able, women like Smither, Winkler, Turlington, and more plan to keep working, posing for photoshoots and strutting on runways. So sure, times may have changed, but the classic models' passion for the runway remains timeless.
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