Cindy Crawford (Supermodel)

About Cindy Crawford (Supermodel)

Cynthia Ann Crawford was born on February 20, 1966, in DeKalb, Illinois, to Daniel Kenneth Crawford and Jennifer Sue Crawford-Moluf. She grew up with two sisters, Chris and Danielle, and a brother, Jeffery, who died of leukemia at age three. Discovered at 16 by a photographer while detasseling corn, she entered Elite Model Management’s “Look of the Year” contest, becoming a runner-up. A high school valedictorian, she briefly attended Northwestern University on a chemical engineering scholarship but left to pursue modeling. Crawford is of German, English, and French ancestry, with her family rooted in the U.S. for generations. She is a descendant of English Puritan settler Thomas Trowbridge and, as discovered on Who Do You Think You Are? in 2013, European nobility, including Charlemagne. She is primarily known as Cindy Crawford, with no widely used aliases, though early in her career, she was nicknamed “Baby Gia” due to her resemblance to model Gia Carangi.

Crawford rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s as part of "The Big 10" a group of supermodels that dominated the 1990s, where being a celebrity and appearing on MTV was as important as appearing on a runway or on a fashion magazine. They included Elle MacPherson, Cindy Crawford (Supermodel), Linda Evangelista, Stephanie Seymour, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, and Kate Moss." She graced over 1,000 magazine covers, including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Allure. Her trademark mole above her lip became iconic after Vogue chose not to airbrush it out in 1986. She walked runways for Chanel, Versace, Christian Dior, and others, and starred in campaigns for Revlon, Pepsi, and Omega. Notable moments include her 1990 British Vogue cover with the other members of the "Big Five Supermodels" Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Tatjana Patitz, and her appearance in George Michael’s Freedom! ’90 video. She posed for Playboy in 1988 and 1998, becoming the first modern supermodel to do so, and hosted MTV’s House of Style from 1989 to 1995. She retired from full-time modeling in 2000 but occasionally appears in shoots, such as Vogue Paris with her daughter Kaia Gerber in 2016. Crawford signed with Elite New York in 1986 after working with Chicago photographer Victor Skrebneski. She also worked with Elite Chicago early on but was primarily associated with Elite New York during her peak.

Her editorial work includes Vogue (multiple international editions), W, People, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Allure, and George, where she appeared as George Washington. In 1998, she had over 500 magazine appearances. She was featured in the 2009 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition The Model as Muse.

Crawford has a significant social media presence, with over 6 million Instagram followers (@cindycrawford). She shares content about her family, business ventures, and throwback modeling shots, leveraging platforms to maintain her brand and connect with fans, a shift from her pre-social media career.

At 5’9½” with brown hair and eyes, Crawford’s measurements are 34"-25.5"-36", with a 34B bra size. Her athletic build and mole are defining features. She has admitted to using Botox and vitamin injections since age 29 but has not confirmed other surgeries.

Crawford’s appeal stems from her approachable yet glamorous persona, blending all-American charm with sultry sophistication. Fans and industry figures, like designer Michael Kors, praise her as a brunette who redefined the “sexy American girl” with intelligence and professionalism. Her athletic frame, confidence, and mole are often highlighted as unique.

Her net worth is estimated at $100 million, derived from modeling, endorsements (Revlon, Pepsi, Omega), fitness videos (Cindy Crawford: Shape Your Body, The Next Challenge, A New Dimension), and businesses like Meaningful Beauty (launched 2005) and Cindy Crawford Home Collection. She was named the highest-paid model in 1995 by Forbes. Crawford faced minor controversies, including criticism of her fitness videos for unsafe exercises and rumors of homosexuality during her marriage to Richard Gere, fueled by her 1992 Vanity Fair cover with k.d. lang. These did not significantly impact her career.

Her acting roles include the 1995 film Fair Game, which flopped critically and commercially, and appearances in 54 (1998) and Cougar Town (2009). She also performed in magic shows with David Copperfield, participating in illusions like being sawn in half. Crawford hosted MTV’s House of Style (1989–1995), appeared in TV shows like Frasier (1997), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1998), and According to Jim (2002), and starred in music videos, including Jon Bon Jovi’s Please Come Home for Christmas (1994), Duran Duran’s Girl Panic! (2011), and Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood (2015) as Headmistress. She also featured in the 2023 docuseries The Super Models.

In the late 1990s, she also made a number of appearances as a special guest assistant in magician David Copperfield's stage shows. Here, she stood in for fellow supermodel Claudia Schiffer, being sawed in half, levitated, and beheaded by a guillotine. On a number of occasions, she joined Schiffer and Copperfield for a version of the sawing in half trick in which both she and Schiffer were sawed in half at the same time wearing different colored outfits, and then reassembled with their lower halves switched.

Crawford married actor Richard Gere in 1991; they divorced in 1995 amid media scrutiny. She wed entrepreneur Rande Gerber in 1998, and they have two children, Presley (born 1999) and Kaia (born 2001), both models. The family lives in Malibu, California, and Crawford is known for her close bond with her children, often sharing family moments publicly.

Crawford’s legacy as a supermodel redefined the industry, elevating models to global celebrities. Her business acumen, with ventures like Meaningful Beauty and home collections, set a precedent for models transitioning to entrepreneurship. Her philanthropy, particularly for childhood leukemia research, inspired by her brother’s death, and her influence on models like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid cement her as a fashion icon. Her daughter Kaia continues her modeling legacy.

Crawford remains active in her businesses, including Meaningful Beauty’s 20th anniversary in 2025, and supports charitable causes. She occasionally models, participates in fashion events like the 2017 Versace show honoring Gianni Versace, and engages with fans via social media, maintaining her status as a timeless figure in fashion.