Rise to Fame
The modeling industry kept airbrushing out her mole. She insisted they stop. That decision turned her face into a brand. By 1990, she was in the George Michael "Freedom! '90" video alongside Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, and Christy Turlington, the cultural moment most people point to when they say the supermodel era officially started. MTV's House of Style, which she hosted and executive-produced from 1989 to 1995, was what separated her from the other supers. She wasn't just a face. She was a personality with opinions about fashion, and that changed what a model could be.
In the Spotlight
She launched Meaningful Beauty with French cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh more than 20 years ago, and the brand is still moving. The hero serum reportedly sells one bottle every minute. She's not coasting. The other story is her daughter Kaia Gerber, who has built a separate model and acting career with nothing to do with riding her mother's name. Crawford is the template. Kaia is the revision.
Side Notes
She grew up in DeKalb, Illinois, not exactly a modeling hotbed, and had a place at Northwestern University studying chemical engineering before she walked away from it. Her first marriage was to Richard Gere (1991-1995), a pairing that generated far more magazine covers than memorable stories. Her husband Rande Gerber co-founded Casamigos Tequila with George Clooney. Diageo bought it in 2017. DeKalb hasn't produced many households like this one.