Forever In Fashion

Whether she’s advocating on behalf of mothers around the world or occasionally dipping into her old job, supermodel CHRISTY TURLINGTON BURNS is eternally on trend

- Sarah Cristobal

“It’s Prince, it’s Lacroix, it’s Elton John, it’s Dolce; there’s so much going on here,” says Christy Turlington Burns, gesturing at the over-the-top, ’80s-inspired Dolce & Gabbana coat adorned with bejewelled crosses she is wearing on set in New York City. Upon surveying the racks of clothes earlier, she made an educated guess that a puff-sleeved polka dot number was by the design house of Emanuel Ungaro. She was correct, of course, not only because she understands fashion but also because she’s worn these styles before, at the time of their original incarnation. “These pieces are maybe a little shorter than the ones in my heyday and have even bigger shoulder pads, but it’s definitely an homage,” Turlington Burns says with a laugh. “A lot of it [reminds] me of ’80s designers who were even before my time, like Giorgio Sant’Angelo, Antony Price and Arnold Scaasi.”

And yet can we even recall a time when she and her fellow supermodels (yes, the originals: Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer) were not dominating the fashion and pop culture ether? Their collective power—industry folk still refer to them by their first names only—continues to carry weight. In the past year alone, Turlington Burns has appeared in campaigns for marquee brands such as Versace, Maybelline New York, Biotherm and H&M Conscious Exclusive collection.

Though she appreciates all the adventures of her epic modelling career, rehashing the past is not her focus. “It’s funny how removed I feel from it,” she says, having slipped into a much more comfortable sweatshirt and black pants. “It’s not something that I think about at all on a daily basis,” she points out.