FASHION

40 and Fabulous: The Bold and the Beautiful


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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

This year marks W’s 40th anniversary. To celebrate, we take a look back at the defining faces from four decades of beauty and fashion. Click here to purchase *W: The First Forty Years*.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

Yves Saint Laurent anointed her “the girl of the seventies.” While her chiseled jawline said aristocracy, Berenson’s played-up eyes and swath of curls screamed Studio 54.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

Amid a long line of girls next door like Christie Brinkley and Kim Alexis, this Amazonian Texan added a dose of hot sauce to the all-American beauty canon.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

The Somali-born stunner brought a touch of the exotic to the runway with her gazelle-like figure, intense coal eyes, and spectacular complexion. She’s also proved to be far more than just a pretty face: Today she runs a cosmetics empire.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

After a decade of hourglass supermodels, Moss’s so-called heroin-chic frame and gap-toothed pout established a new—and controversial—paradigm that quickly spread from the runway to the culture at large.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

Who else could be the better half of John Casablancas, Axl Rose, and Peter Brant? Seymour has played every role from art muse and party girl to doting mother—and she’s equally versatile in front of the camera, pulling off a dramatic look for Helmut Newton as easily as a beach vibe for Sports Illustrated.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

Marie-Chantal (left), Alexandra (right), and Pia Miller (not shown) became the darlings of both society and the photographers chronicling it—like modern-day Cushing sisters.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

These two free spirits—the Betty and Veronica of the nineties—epitomized the era’s relaxed, natural beauty. Harlow’s striking alabaster skin and dark curls (left) juxtaposed with Valletta’s sun-kissed California-girl ease made them the ultimate yin-yang twins.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

To say that the Brazilian bombshell’s curves, honey-tone cascading hair, and legs that just don’t quit are a winning combination is an understatement. According to Forbes, Gisele is the world’s highest-paid model—a title she’s held for seven years.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

Thankfully, Asia’s ongoing obsession with fashion and beauty is now being exported. Estée Lauder started the trend by signing its first Asian model, Liu Wen, in the summer of 2010. Soon after, Wen was walking the Victoria’s Secret runway and paving the way for the likes of Fei Fei Sun, Sui He, and Shu Pei Qin.

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Stylist: Giovanna Battaglia

Whether paleface-painted (Elizabeth), elfin-eared (The Lord of the Rings), or simply wearing her best red-carpet look, the Australian actress is persistently captivating.