Claudia Schiffer says the '90s was an “exciting” decade because of the freedom to experiment.
Claudia Schiffer reflects on the 90s
The catwalk queen - who has created a new coffee table book ‘Captivate! Fashion Photography from the 90s!’ celebrating the era that saw the birth of the supermodel - believes the decade was so groundbreaking because of the industry’s boundaries being wiped away through collaboration “across fashion”.
The 51-year-old star told PENTA: “Young designers, photographers, stylists, and art directors, as well as hair and makeup artists, emerged and fundamentally changed the way we view fashion and design.
"There was an incredible merging of fields across fashion, music, art, and entertainment and that made the era dynamic, exciting—the impossible became possible. I really wanted to capture the visual experimentation and freedom of expression.”
The book - which features work of the era’s defining models and photographers such as Helmut Lang - showcases a time “fueled by global appetite” for fashion, which led to models, such as Claudia, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen and others, becoming household names.
Claudia explained: “The boom was fueled by the global appetite for fashion and the range of media from MTV to legacy magazines including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and a new guard of style titles such as The Face, Self Service, i-D, and V Magazine.
"The ’90s gave way to the birth of the supermodel but also the superstar designer, stylist, and photographer. And the fashion. Wearing a Chanel jacket with vintage jeans, body con Alaia dresses and sneakers, Marc Jacobs ’ grunge or a Helmut Lang suit — it was its high-and-low mix that was individual, fun, and cool. It really resonates now, when so many young creatives are collaborating and doing things — building from the ground up.”
However, despite the book - which is connected to an exhibition Claudia curated at Museum Kunstpalast in Dusseldorf - honouring this time, the Versace model is “not given to nostalgia” as she thinks it can stop you being your "best self".
She said: "I am not given to nostalgia as it can prevent you from moving forward. I would like to be my best self at every age and that also means taking risks."
Tagged in Claudia Schiffer Kate Moss Naomi Campbell