As the autumn TV schedules start to heat up with a slew of brilliant new dramas on the horizon, there’s only one fashion television event anyone is talking about: The Super Models. Apple TV+’s four-part docu-series has been the talk of the town for months, and it’s finally hitting the small screens on Wednesday 20 September.
Following the careers of the four ‘supers’ – Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington – in ‘80s and ‘90s New York, it promises to lift the lid on their stratospheric rise. Here’s everything you need to know about this autumn’s must-watch fashion event.
What is The Super Models about?
The first episode of The Super Models takes us back to the early ‘80s, when four teenagers – Naomi, Cindy, Linda and Christy – stepped in front of a camera for the first time. Little did they know that they were igniting a seismic chain of events that would lead to them becoming some of the most famous – and powerful – women in the world. The four episodes chart that incredible rise, revealing how these women came to change the face of modelling forever.
Promising unprecedented and exclusive access to the four supers, the show will take viewers behind the camera and beyond the catwalk to reveal how these women managed to single-handedly shift the power dynamic of an entire industry. “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,” reads a statement from Apple TV+.
The recently launched trailer – which racked up over one million views in just 24 hours – opens with the famous foursome getting together for the first time in their fifties. “It wasn’t about the fashion, it was about the women – that’s what a supermodel is,” says a voiceover, as images and videos of the models on ‘90s catwalks flash in the background. In the trailer, Campbell refers to the other supers as her “chosen family” and says getting them together is bound to be “emotional”. If the trailer is anything to go by, it’s set to be a fascinating watch.
Who will feature in The Super Models?
The series will focus mainly on the four supers, featuring exclusive new interviews with Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista and Turlington as they reflect on their careers and the key events that shaped them. Also joining them in the series will be a selection of the biggest names in the fashion industry, including Edward Enninful, Donatella Versace and Marc Jacobs, reflecting on their seismic rise and ‘90s reign and looking at the impact it had on the industry as a whole.
Who are the names behind the series?
The Super Models is produced by Academy Award-winner Barbara Kopple, with Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills directing the series. It’s also been revealed that the famous foursome not only star in the series but are also executive producers, alongside big industry names like Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Sara Bernstein.
“Each of these women could be their own film,” says Roger Ross Williams of working on the project. “It was very easy to fill four hours. They came up together, they were bonded together at the same time, and their stories interweave seamlessly in a beautiful way.” As for the relationship between the four supers, Williams says: “There’s the media impression of these women, and then there’s the real women. I think the audience who watches this documentary series will see another side to these women — their authentic selves. There’s a deep bond because they all came of age together and experienced something so phenomenal together — something we mere mortals will never experience.”
When will The Super Models air?
The series will land on Apple TV+ on 20 September, during fashion month.
