Cindy Crawford is a global American style and fashion icon. She achieved unprecedented career success thanks to her hard work and pragmatic approach to life. With effort and determination, Cindy became a supermodel, a popular actress, a wife, a mother, and a millionaire. We will discuss her life in more detail on chicagoka.com.
Childhood and Teenage Years
Cynthia (her birth name) was born on February 20, 1966, in the small, poor town of DeKalb, Illinois. Her father was an electrician, and her mother was a nurse. Since her parents were barely able to make ends meet to feed three children, the girl didn’t even dream of a modeling career. Interestingly, in her youth, Cynthia was overlooked by boys, mainly due to her thin frame, aristocratic features, and a noticeable mole.
Crawford was an excellent student in school. During summer breaks, she often went with her class to agricultural fields to earn money for her education and living expenses, as well as for her father’s medical treatment. One day, while harvesting crops in a field, Cynthia caught the eye of a newspaper reporter. He immediately noticed the pretty girl and showed the photographs to Victor Skrebneski, who offered Crawford a lucrative collaboration, which she accepted. Her parents were initially against their daughter’s decision, but she didn’t listen to them and headed to Chicago. After the photo shoot with Skrebneski, Cynthia received an offer from an agency to work as a model in Manhattan.
In 1984, the young woman graduated from high school and enrolled in the chemical engineering program at Northwestern University in Illinois. However, she soon dropped out and went to Manhattan.
The Phenomenon of Cindy Crawford
In 1986, Cynthia took her first steps in the fashion world. That year, she participated in the “Elite Model Look” contest in Chicago and took second place. Just a few months later, Cynthia appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine. Crawford’s widespread appeal lay in her flawless look, which appealed to both men and women.
Crawford suddenly moved from the distant pedestal of a fashion mannequin or glamorous cover girl when she began to engage the public. She gave interviews where she spoke about her difficult childhood, her parents’ divorce, and the trauma associated with the death of her younger brother from leukemia. She later hosted the talk show “House of Style,” which made her even more famous.
The phenomenon of Cindy Crawford continued: she starred in fitness videos, television programs, commercials, and films. Meanwhile, her already high popularity grew after her brief marriage to actor Richard Gere in 1991. The couple was plagued by rumors of homosexuality, and they eventually divorced after Cindy appeared on the controversial cover of Vanity Fair alongside lesbian singer k.d. lang.
Significantly, Crawford became the first model to agree to pose nude for Playboy magazine. She also actively collaborated with designers and fashion houses. She presented collections for Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, and many others. In 1997, Cindy was named the Most Beautiful Woman on the Planet by Playboy magazine. And Shape magazine named her the second most beautiful woman in the world after Demi Moore.
Beyond the Modeling Business
In 1995, the supermodel starred in the film Fair Game. Despite Cindy being at the peak of her popularity, the film was not a success. It turned out to be a financial failure, and critics barely discussed Crawford’s acting talent. Since then, the model has not tried her hand at acting again.
Crawford signed multi-year contracts with Pepsi Cola and the cosmetic brand Revlon. At that time, the model’s fortune was estimated at $23 million. After that, her status was so high that the ABC television channel invited her to host a special episode dedicated to the problems of adolescent sex, provocatively titled Sex with Cindy Crawford. The opening of the themed restaurant “Fashion Café” in the mid-1990s marked the peak of the sensation caused by the supermodel Crawford’s emergence. The café’s association with Crawford and other famous models demonstrated how significant a figure Cindy had become in American culture. By the end of the 20th century, Crawford remained the most recognizable of celebrities due to the combination of her clean erotic image and professional diversification across a multitude of accessible media outlets.
Throughout her career, Cindy Crawford’s face and body graced over 700 magazine covers. She actively collaborated with the world’s most famous magazines, including Maxim, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and others. In the early 2000s, Cindy announced the end of her modeling career.
The Model’s Personal Life
In 1991, Cindy fell deeply in love with Hollywood leading man Richard Gere, who was 18 years her senior, but the age difference did not hinder their marriage. However, they divorced in 1995. The supermodel’s second husband was entrepreneur and nightclub owner Rande Gerber. They married in 1998, and a few years later, Cindy gave birth to two children.
Cindy Crawford continues to periodically participate in various advertising campaigns. She also writes children’s books, is involved in the release of skincare products, and engages in philanthropy.