The Shot that Launched the Supermodel Era

Photo: Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, Peter Lindbergh, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista, New York, 1990. (Courtesy of Peter Lindbergh, Paris / Gagosian Gallery. )

One day in New York in the late 1980s, five "It" girls gathered before the lens of German photographer Peter Lindbergh. Their names were Naomi, Linda, Tatjana, Christy, and Cindy, and a now-iconic black-and-white shot of them would become the cover of British Vogue's January 1990 issue, heralding the beginning of the supermodel era and turning its subjects into stars. More than 30 years later, Lindbergh is now the focus. "Peter Lindbergh: A Different Vision on Fashion Photography," a career-spanning retrospective of his work, opens September 10 at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. But if you can't make the trip overseas, you can pick up its coinciding compendium (Taschen), which includes 400 images, arranged alphabetically by the countless designers he's collaborated with, from Azzedine Alaia to Yohji Yamamoto.

Like what you see here? Subscribe and be the first to receive the latest issue of OUT. Subscribe to print here and receive a complimentary digital subscription.