Throwing a literal curve to the fashion industry, British Vogue tapped models Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee, and Jill Kortleve for the cover of its April 2023 issue. Introduced as “The New Supers,” the cover celebrates a new kind of supermodel rooted in representation.

“It’s about more than just a picture — what we’re doing is creating a reference […] I always think about the 15-year-old girl sitting in her bedroom in Milwaukee who needs to see someone with boobs or a belly represented,” Elsesser told British Vogue. “I want her to know we can be chic, beautiful, and cool — to see all the possibilities.”
While the industry is filled with beautiful faces, as Edward Enninful, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, notes, “beauty is only one building block in the powerful space” that Elsesser, Kortleve, and Lee occupy in the fashion world. Compared to the 20th century’s “Trinity” of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista, Elsesser, Kortleve, and Lee resonate with today’s modern woman’s physique.
Representing naturally curvy physiques on catwalks and campaigns for high-end and affordable brands alike, the trio’s impact has been leveraged by consumers and industry leaders. But even at the height of their visibility, the new “Supers” still face a level of imposter syndrome. During an intimate brunch interview with Vogue, the trio agreed their work is just as rewarding as it is challenging.
“My mother called me a supermodel from the beginning,” says Lee. “Even when we were sitting in a waiting room at a casting with dozens of other girls, I was her super. Back then, I’d get annoyed with her. ‘Supermodel’ wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself, even once I started ticking off the boxes.”
Today, it’s safe to say Lee and her fellow cover stars are in a league of their own. From modeling for Zara and Versace to…
Read the full article here