This Is How All The Top Legendary Models Were Actually Discovered! (7 of 7)

Naomi Campbell

Anyone can tell from her runway walk that Naomi was born to be a model. But, it was Beth Boldt from Pennington Models who saw her potential for the first time.

Naomi was a 15-year-old teenager when a random woman accosted her and asked her if she had ever thought of being a model. That woman was Beth, the chairperson of Synchro. She was both surprised and excited and had no words, she disclosed to The Guardian.

Since her mom thought that that would come in the way of her studies, she didn’t take the idea seriously. However, Naomi knew this was too big an opportunity to let go so, a couple of weeks after, she went to meet Beth at her office by herself. Beth changed Campbell’s hairdo, did some makeup, and arranged a photoshoot in the same school uniform that she was wearing. Later on, she even had the support of her mother when she promised she wouldn’t let her work affect her studies in any way.

In 2020, The Interview gave her the title of “reigning mega model.” Her being a part of The Big Five Supermodels in the 1990s made her world-renowned.

Christy Turlington

A photographer saw 14-year-old Turlington riding on horseback in the state of Florida and noticed that she had it in her to make it big as a model. As Christy told Harper’s BAZAAR, it was less than a year after that that she was moving to Paris to make it happen.

Not only did Christy rule the industry as a part of The Big Five Supermodels in the 1990s, but she was also the face of campaigns by the biggest brands such as Versace and Calvin Klein.

Every major designer had to have her walk for their show. Apart from this, she has done her bit towards philanthropy and made it to TIME’s list of 100 most influential people for the same.

Cindy Crawford

Prior to becoming a runway queen and the cover face of top fashion magazines, Cindy was an ordinary girl living in Dekalb, a little town in the state of Illinois. When talking about her journey, she revealed that it was when she was getting a poolside picture taken by a photographer that led her to try out modeling. Crawford was quite positive of her decision and moved to Chicago to take the first step. She signed with Elite, a popular modeling agency, and has never looked back since then.

Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid becoming a model was no surprise. Her mother, Yolanda, has been a model and both her daughters have inherited her beauty and talent. Her career began when was merely 2 years old. Paul Marciano, co-founder of Guess noticed her and made her a part of their campaign. For the relaunch, Gigi signed with the modeling agency, IMG, when she was 13.

Her major breakthrough was when she was cast in the December issue of Harper’s BAZAAR in 2014. Since then, she has been a part of nearly every big fashion show and campaign. She even signed a deal with Tommy Hilfiger as the Tommy x Gigi brand.

Gisele Bundchen

As reported by The Independent, Gisele was discovered while she was shopping in the city of Sao Paulo in Brazil. She did her first-ever runway walk at the tender age of 14. Her walk impressed many and she bagged many projects and was at a peak from the late 1990s to the 2000s. Her appearance in Alexander Queen’s 1998 show gave her a massive leap. Unsurprisingly, Gisele has been Forbes‘ highest-paid for several years.

After proving herself in modeling, Bundchen also tried out her hands at acting. She was a part of The Devil Wears Prada and Taxi. Gisele’s recently released memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life is a must-read.

Kate Moss

Kate was discovered by Sarah Doukas, a popular model scout. Sarah saw Kate with her dad at an airport in New York and immediately made up her mind. She got onto the flight and accosted them regarding this when the sign to take off the seat belt was on, as reported by Business Insider. At that time, Kate was merely 14-years-old.

Her collaboration with Calvin Klein earned her the tag of a fashion icon. She reigned the fashion shows, magazine covers, and editorials for the whole of the 1990s.

To help other aspiring models, Moss started her own agency in 2016 by the name of The Kate Moss Agency.

That is all for our list of surprising discoveries of today’s top models. These women followed their passion with determination and hard work and got where they had once dreamt of being. Their stories were inspirational and let’s use this motivation to achieve our dreams too.