[liv4beauty]

Well on a commercial level I'd say it's Heidi Klum due to Sports Illustrated, VS, and now Project Runway. Gisele is a very close second. Heidi usually tops most men's lists (Maxim, Esquire) as sexiest/favorite model followed by Gisele.

As far as high fashion, I'd have to either go with Kate Moss, Eva Herzigova, and Naomi Campbell. Although, Gisele might fall into that category as well.

[fashionkitten7]

I'd have to agree that that's Kate Moss rather, though I first thought I'd say Natalia Vodianova. Kate Moss has been around for ages and was BIG during all the phases fashion has been through: The Supermodel Era, The Androgyny/Unisex, The Heroin Chick and she still is. Natalia Vodianova is second most successful with her record making 20$ million Calvin Klein contract and the fairy tale life story. The remarkable thing about the two girls is that they both got to where they are despite the odds and circumstances being against them: the height matter and the imperfect features for Kate Moss and the background thing for Natalia. I wonder whether that's the irony of the business which is all about perfection and privelege or something that actually contributes the major part to them being consireded the two most successful, by me, at least.

[Atelier]

In my opinion, this thread isn't complete without Kathy Ireland. Sure she was just an SI swimsuit model but there's no denying her success.

Quote:

The Model Mogul Kiri Blakeley , 07.05.04 Kathy Ireland used to sell her looks. Selling her name is more lucrative. Blessed with emerald eyes and cascades of auburn hair, Kathy Ireland graced every issue of Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit edition from 1984 to 1994. She also sold her own swimsuit calendar and appeared in dozens of catalogs and magazines, earning $150,000 a year. But she wanted more: "I thought, ‘I'd rather be the client.'" A decade later Ireland, 41, still models, but she has shed her string bikini in favor of crisp linen suits--and she sells her own wares. By renting out her name and image to 11 manufacturers that sell her products at 34,000 locations in 14 countries, Ireland generated $1 billion in retail sales last year. She likely netted some $10 million of that. Few fashion models in the world make that kind of money, and ultimately they are supplanted by younger talent. (Christy Turlington lost her Maybelline gig two years ago at age 33.) Kathy Ireland has found a way to move beyond all that. She employs 37 people at her firm, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, in which she holds a majority stake. In 1993 Ireland started out by slapping her name on a line of socks; Kmart picked it up and the line eventually sold 100 million pairs. Impressed, the big retailer gave Ireland her own clothing line. Now her name adorns everything from sofas to rugs to window blinds. Half of her annual sales are generated by Standard Furniture, which sold $500 million worth of furniture with her name on it last year. Thus Ireland is a latter-day Martha Stewart, without the storied bitchiness and felony conviction (she even discourages her employees from using the Lord's name in vain). "She has a real wholesome, ethical image that appeals to the housewife and average consumer," says Robert Allen, president of Arrow Industries, which debuts a line of Ireland bedclothes this summer. Her image is burnished by her open embrace of Christianity: Her book, Powerful Inspirations, a memoir of her spiritual growth, is in its third printing; she teaches Sunday school and hopes to include a Bible study area on her Web site. Ireland sees bigger things ahead. "We're a baby brand compared to where I see us going," she declares. She troubleshoots each offering--will the wiring on a new line of "garden critter" lights be safe even if it gets chewed by pets or children?--and meets frequently with each vendor. On a typical day in May she met at 9:30 a.m. with her staff in Los Angeles, flew by private jet (she leases it part-time) to Anaheim to meet with Arrow, then flew on to San Diego for another meeting before jetting home to Santa Barbara. "Someone once asked me how they could ‘get some of that passive income,'" she says. "I just had to laugh."

(Photo from same article on forbes.com)

[irresistable_loz]

Kate Moss, however Gisele, Natalia, Daria and Gemma are fairly close behind

[melbguy]

Um if we are talking about older models Elle Macpherson hasnt done to badly for herself either
She was listed a couple of years ago in the Guiness Book of records as the worlds richest supermodel and she is fairly much a household name.

[irresistable_loz]

so true... in Australia at least. When you think about models everyone knows over here its usually elle and kate..

[cutxpaste]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spring_Fever I have an idea of who it is but I just wanted to see what you folks think? Please name the one who you feel it is and why. Thanks. Sorry if a thread like this is already up and running, feel free to merge.

if you mean ever, probably naomi campbell,cindy crawford, twiggy, kate moss (currently not very successful due to cocaine scandal) or linda evangelista.

if you mean currently, it's probably daria or gemma. they're everywhere!