40 and Fabulous: The Bold and the Beautiful
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*.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
