90s supermodels are synonymous with iconic perfumes, and they have made the fragrances they represented ultra covetable. Supermodels like Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Kate Moss graced almost every catwalk in the 90s, but they also influenced what we spritz. Discover how their timeless ad campaigns made fragrances iconic.
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The 90s supermodels and their iconic perfume campaigns
Celebrate the most legendary fragrance campaigns of the 90s and the faces that made them iconic.
1. Christy Turlington: Eternity by Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein’s Eternity ad campaign starring 90s supermodel Christy Turlington is as iconic as it gets! This captivating photoshoot made the fragrance an instant success, and the timeless scent is still available today. Starting in 1988, Christy starred as the face of the scent for years, creating instant appeal for the fragrance. The easy-wearing scent amassed worldwide appeal and charmed with a blend of freesia, mandarin, and sage fusing into a heart of white lily, marigold, and narcissus. The base of amber and patchouli is romantic and sensual, and captures the idea of a love that lasts an eternity. The striking ad campaign reflected the concept of eternal love, first featuring Christy Turlington, and later including her director husband Ed Burns. The couple is still going strong after more than 20 years of marriage and embodies the iconic perfume’s concept of intimacy and commitment. In 2020, Calvin Klein announced that Turlington and Burns will be returning as the faces of Eternity!
2. Cindy Crawford: Revlon Unforgettable and Fire & Ice
Cindy Crawford was the spokesmodel for Revlon for many years and featured in the iconic ad campaign for Revlon’s Unforgettable perfume. The television ad showcased Crawford, alongside fellow 90s supermodels Tatjana Patitz and Anette Roque, with Nat King Cole singing his hit song, Unforgettable. The iconic fragrance was launched in 1990 and features a blend of orange flower, freesia, and lily of the valley melting into iris and jasmine. The alluring base is a mix of amber and musk.
Cindy Crawford also starred as the face of Revlon’s Fire & Ice perfume, which launched in 1994. This iconic perfume features a blend of osmanthus, orange blossom, tuberose, magnolia, and narcissus. The sensual base exudes incense, musk, amber, and woods. The ad campaign featured the 90s supermodel in a fiery red dress, looking irresistible with her signature Revlon red lips.
3. Claudia Schiffer: Chanel Cristalle and Revlon Charlie Red
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer was featured as the face of Chanel Cristalle EDT in the 90s, and the iconic perfume is still available today. The scent blends fresh notes like citrus, hyacinth, honeysuckle, and jasmine absolute. The fresh perfume mimics the idea of the sunlight glistening in the morning dew. In the ad campaign, the 90s supermodel’s face is featured next to the bottle, and her skin looks fresh, dewy, and enviable.
Claudia Schiffer was also famous for being the Guess girl and notably starred in their campaign for Guess Café Woman in 1991. This iconic fragrance is no longer available, but the campaign became an instant classic, and you can still buy posters of the ad online!
The 90s supermodel was the face of Revlon’s Charlie Red perfume in 1993. The iconic perfume is a blend of gardenia, orange blossom, plum, violet, tuberose, jasmine, and carnation. The base features musk, cedar, and amber.
4. Kate Moss: Calvin Klein Obsession, Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs, and Yves Saint Laurent Opium
If you want a perfume to become iconic, get 90s supermodel Kate Moss to be the spokesmodel! The British supermodel has been the face of various perfume campaigns, notably a men’s fragrance! In 1993, when she was only 18 years old, she became the face of Calvin Klein Obsession For Men. Her then-boyfriend, Mario Sorrenti, photographed the campaign. The 90s supermodel went on to become the face of Obsession for Women, and much later, in 2017, starred in the campaign of Calvin Klein Obsessed.
Obsession EDP by Calvin Klein was launched in 1985 and is still available today. The fragrance tempts your senses with lavender, myrrh, and exotic spices. The addictive drydown includes musk, sandalwood, and patchouli. Four decades later, the fragrance still garners a loyal following.
In the early 1990s, Kate Moss was the face of Cacharel’s Anaïs Anaïs, with the 90s supermodel showing her softer side in the visuals. This iconic perfume showcases notes of white lily, hyacinth, orange blossom, jasmine, carnation, tuberose, musk, amber, and patchouli.
In 1994, the 90s supermodel was the face of Yves Saint Laurent Opium, adding another iconic perfume to her accolades of campaigns. Opium EDP is a timeless and iconic perfume with a one-of-a-kind formula of bergamot, myrrh, jasmine, carnation, and amber.
Kate Moss has become synonymous with iconic perfumes and starred in various fragrance campaigns, including Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Burberry My Burberry, and Bulgari Rose Essentielle. The 90s supermodel also launched her own eponymous perfume brand in 2007!
5. Paulina Porizkova: Estée Lauder Knowing and Beautiful
Paulina Porizkova became one of the top-earning models in 1998 when she was signed as the new face of Estée Lauder. From 1988 to 1995, she starred in the company’s famous Knowing perfume campaign and later featured as the Beautiful spokesmodel. Estée Lauder Knowing EDP is a timeless and iconic perfume with aromas of rose, tuberose, mimosa, jasmine, patchouli, and orange flower. The dreamy base showcases notes like vetiver, amber, oakmoss, and sandalwood. Estée Lauder Beautiful EDP is equally as classic and enduring. The fragrance combines rose, lily marigold, jasmine, ylang-ylang, and amber. This ageless fragrance embodies a woman at her most beautiful, making it a popular choice with brides.
In 2025, Paulina Porizkova returned to Estée Lauder as an ambassador! This time, the 90s supermodel is focused on being a role model, helping women to build their self-worth and age gracefully.
* Get more iconic perfume inspiration in our article: Pop the Champagne! We’re Celebrating the Best 90s Perfumes.
* If you adore 90s supermodels, you’ll love just-off-the-runway fragrances like Michael Kors, Gucci, Prada, Juicy Couture, Burberry, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, and Issey Miyake.
* If you are after unique aromas, you’ll enjoy reading about pistachio scents, sweet perfumes, peach fragrances, spicy perfumes, clean scents, woody fragrances, and cherry blossom fragrances.
