In the 1980s, perhaps no one typified beauty, glamor, and sex appeal more than the big four, “The Super Models” —Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. These runaway models were everywhere, and perhaps nothing epitomized their global allure more than George Michael’s steamy “Freedom” video, which featured all of these women plus Tatjana Patitz and was directed with erotic sweatiness by none other than David Fincher. There have been many documentaries about this era and these 80s supermodels, but AppleTV+’s docuseries event “The Super Models,” featuring all these models, boasts unprecedented access to the models and takes viewers behind the camera and beyond the catwalk, revealing how they dominated the elite modeling world while illuminating a bond that single-handedly shifted the power dynamic of an entire industry.
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That’s code for they are producers on the doc series, which highlights a recent dilemma in the documentary world for the last few years: are these objective documentary portraits, or are they expensive, self-serving vanity projects that the subjects have final say over and can edit and finesse things how they like? That ethical dilemma is a conversation for another day, given that this is quickly becoming the norm, even if it’s troubling.
Regardless, “The Super Models” premieres September 20 globally on Apple TV+ and spotlights the remarkable careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. Hailing from Imagine Documentaries and One Story Up and directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams (“Cassandro,” “Love to Love You, Donna Summer”) and Larissa Bills (“Finding The Way Home”), the four-part series spotlights the remarkable careers of Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista, and Turlington.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“The Super Models” travels back to the 1980s, when four women from different corners of the world united in New York. Already forces in their own right, the gravitas they achieved by coming together transcended the industry itself. Their prestige was so extraordinary that it enabled the four to supersede the brands they showcased, making the names Naomi, Cindy, Linda, and Christy as prominent as the designers who styled them. Today, the four supermodels remain on the frontlines of culture through activism, philanthropy, and business prowess. As the fashion industry continues to redefine itself – and women’s roles within it – this is the ultimate story of power and how four women came together to claim it, paving the way for those to follow.
Executive producers on the series include Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Barbara Kopple, Roger Ross Williams, and Geoff Martz, along with (of course) Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington Burns. “The Super Models” is set to premiere globally on September 20, 2023. Watch the teaser trailer below.