Model Kaia Crawford might be having her moment right now, but her mother, Cindy, has never stopped having hers. The 51-year-old last night reunited on the runway with the seminal troupe of ’90s supermodels known as The Originals, in order to pay tribute to another fashion icon:
Gianni Versace.
Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen and former French first lady/model Carla Bruni closed a show staged by the slain designer’s sister, Donatella, in honour of the 20th anniversary of his death.
The women, all dressed in gold lamé, walked to the tune of Freedom!, by the late George Michael – a nod to a famous fashion moment from 1991, when four supermodels walked arm-in-arm down the runway for Versace lip-synching, as the singer watched on from the front row.
It was a fitting tribute to the man credited with creating the ‘celebrity front row’, now a fixture at fashion shows around the world.
Versace was shot dead on on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion on 15 July 1997. The 50-year-old was the fifth and final victim of a serial killer named Andrew Cunanan, who eight days later turned the gun on himself.
Versace’s legacy lives on the fashion house he founded in 1978, one that quickly became famous for its rock ‘n’ roll-meets-couture style, and that clothed the likes of Elton John, Michael Jackson and Princess Diana.
He’s often credited with helping launch the career of actress and model Liz Hurley, courtesy of a revealing black dress, held together at the sides with giant safety pins. So iconic is that 1994 design that it is often referred to, simply, as “That Dress”.
