Claudia Schiffer
The quintessential supermodel who defined 1990s glamour, becoming one of the most photographed faces on the planet.
Born 1970 (age 56)·German model·Birthday: August 25·Generation X
Biography
Claudia Schiffer was 17 when a scout spotted her in a Düsseldorf nightclub. The German blonde with the megawatt smile became the face of Guess?, appearing in campaigns that saturated magazines worldwide. She later joined Victoria's Secret as an Angel, moving between high fashion runways and mainstream advertising. Photographers Ellen von Unwerth and Richard Avedon captured her in images that defined late-1980s and 1990s glamour. Schiffer launched her own fashion lines, published books, and developed cosmetics, building a business that outlasted the supermodel era. She turned her visibility into durable commercial ventures, licensing her name and image. Her career spanned decades, shifting from modeling into design and publishing. She remains a fixture in fashion, appearing at events and collaborating with brands. Schiffer's trajectory shows how a single nightclub discovery can lead to a multi-industry enterprise.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Claudia was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Claudia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Claudia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- She appeared on over 1,000 magazine covers, including a record-breaking number for Vogue.
- She was one of the original 'Big Six' supermodels who dominated global fashion in the 1990s.
- She had a lucrative and long-running contract as the face of Guess? jeans, which launched her career.
- She successfully launched her own fashion and lifestyle brand, expanding beyond modeling.
Did You Know?
She was reportedly offered the role of Bond girl Paris Carver in 'Tomorrow Never Dies' but turned it down.
She is married to film producer Matthew Vaughn and holds the title Lady Drummond.
She is a trained pianist and reportedly played for two hours a day as a child.
“Beauty is an attitude. You have to own it.”
