Thursday, April 3, 2008

Models in the Wilderness

I’ve been feeling nostalgic for one aspect of the eighties: the models. Remember when you couldn’t open a magazine without Elaine Irwin, Suzanne Lanza, or Yasmin Le Bon?

Elaine, of course, married John Mellencamp, and when I was a graduate student I used to see them jogging in the country, Elaine’s blonde ponytail bouncing in back, alerting cars to the fact that her hubby was pushing the baby jogger, while he wore all-black running gear. And Elaine now represents Almay.

Suzanne Lanza moved to the Victoria’s Secret catalogue for a bit, but she didn’t have that voluptuous look that was required. Even Linda Evangelista made a few appearances in it! I saw Suzanne the other day in an L. L. Bean catalogue.

But it’s Yasmin who I really miss. I loved her ubiquitous topknot, her slightly furrowed brows, her elegant hairline. She popped up in the Boden catalogue not too long ago and is now the face of House of Fraser. This Fraser trenchcoat shot reminds me of Audrey in Tiffanys—and of how a gorgeous face amps up the wattage of a simple garment.

6 comments:

WendyB said...

Yasmin makes me think of AbFab...they were always referring to her!

Elizabeth said...

I liked all those girls. I remember Suzanne Lanza appeared year after year in the VS catalog in the same green stirrup-pants-plus-oversize-sweater outfit for years after that look was over.

K.Line said...

Yasmin was great. Really, I preferred models from the good old days when you didn't have to seem drug addicted or starved to be considered attractive. Cuz, no bill of goods, I like a girl with some well-placed body fat and (gasp) musculature.

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

I miss seeing Gemma Ward lately...though she is not from the 80s nor has she been gone for long...

riz said...

Hmm this is kind of unrelated, but what do you make of Boden??

Miss Cavendish said...

Actually, I wrote a post earlier this evening on Boden for tomorrow. You're reading my mind!