Alright folks, grabbed my vintage scrapbook and a mug of lukewarm coffee this morning, ready to dig into my super models of the 80s obsession again. Started simple – just wanted to remember those iconic faces without drowning in nostalgia.
The rabbit hole begins
Pulled out my dusty old VHS tapes first. Remembered Cindy Crawford absolutely smashing it in that Pepsi commercial with the jean shorts and mega-watt smile. Popped the tape in, hit play, and wow. That raw charisma? Pure gold. Hair so feathery it defied gravity. Thought “damn, nobody does it like that anymore”.
Down the fashion wormhole
Then figured I’d try to understand their actual runway walk technique. Turned on Linda Evangelista’s Versace walk on YouTube. Holy smokes. That swagger wasn’t taught – it was bred in the bones. Practiced that hip swing in my hallway mirror for ten minutes. Looked less like a supermodel, more like I’d pulled something. Laughed at myself and plopped back on the couch.
The photo experiment disaster
Inspired by Christy Turlington’s Calvin Klein ads, I set up my phone on a stack of cookbooks. Tried to recreate that mysterious smoky-eye stare with dollar-store makeup. Didn’t go well. My lighting setup sucked, eyeshadow smudged everywhere, and the dog walked into frame sniffing my slipper. Deleted twenty shots. Learned real quick why photographers earned their keep back then.
Things got real when I sorted through my clippings:
- Naomi Campbell’s tiny waist + big shoulder pads combo? Unreal confidence
- Tatjana Patitz’s icy gazes in Guess jeans – zero filters needed
- That time Elle Macpherson owned the Sports Illustrated cover without photoshop magic
The messy conclusion
Got chatting with my neighbor Rita about it later. She suddenly whips out a faded Polaroid of herself circa 1987 – teased hair, bright blue eyeshadow, shoulder pads stretching her blouse into triangles. “We all dressed like wanna-be models!” she cackled. Realized these legends weren’t untouchable goddesses. They were tough-as-nails women flipping off an industry that told them how to be. Their grit still echoes, even if my makeup skills don’t.
Ended the night watching Clueless for the hundredth time. Funny how Cher calls Tyra Banks “a total Monet” like it’s nothing. Those 80s queens? They built the damn runway.
