Dior Homme Brings Back '90s Male SuperModels!

Dior Homme Brings Back

90s Male Supermodels!

When Versace reunited Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Carla Bruni, and Claudia Schiffer on the runway during its Spring 2018 show, the moment was a highlight of the season.

Seeing the iconic faces of the supermodel era return to the runway was impressive, but the ’90s modeling scene wasn’t just about its girls, and today at Dior Homme Kris Van Assche provided a lesson in fashion history.

 Enlisting some of the decade’s most prominent men to walk for his Fall 2018 collection, Van Assche brought back the male supermodel and its aesthetic sensibility. Opening with Cameron Alborzian, the chiseled British-Iranian male model who dominated fashion advertising during the decade and starred as the object of desire in Madonna’s “Express Yourself” video, Van Assche reintroduced several key faces.

For model fans, Van Assche’s runway was a trip down memory lane. There was Mark Vanderloo, the handsome Dutch star once dubbed modeling’s Brad Pitt, Belgian fashion mainstays Alain Gossuin and Arnaud Lemaire, who have been gracing magazines since Y2K was a concern, and Brit James Rousseau, whose presence in luxury ads made him inescapable throughout the aughts.

Though the group lacks the name recognition of Cindy or Naomi, their faces were ubiquitous in imagery for brands like Calvin Klein, Versace, Hugo Boss, and of course, Dior. More than just former models, the group has established themselves beyond the reaches of fashion. With Alborzian now a successful health and fitness guru, Lemaire presenting on French television, Rousseau acting, and Gossuin still booking one great job after another, they’re all examples of longevity in a business known for its quick turnover.

Nostalgia is nice, but the presence of older models was equally welcome. At 55 and 50, respectively, Gossuin and Alborzian provide contrast to the sea of teenaged and 20-something talent currently dominating the menswear shows. Though the discussion regarding age representation during fashion month has largely focused on women, the need for showcasing a greater range of ages across both sides of the industry has become increasingly evident.

 The adolescent focus of many top casts can result in shows filled with high school students, but the legal protections extended to underage female models are rarely considered for their male counterparts. All of which makes Van Assche’s choice to showcase the beauty of maturity more than just a fun throwback. By continuing a conversation that has been brewing for months with affecting moment, the designer gave the season a much needed casting high point.