Vogue UK, January 1990. Photographed by Peter Lindbergh. Courtesy of Condé Nast
Former Wham! band member George Michael passed away from heart failure at his home in England on Christmas Day at the age of 53. The star, who launched his career as a solo artist in 1987, was known for his chart-topping singles such as Faith and Careless Whisper. However, his most celebrated music video was Freedom! ’90, which starred Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford , Tatjana Patitz, and Linda Evangelista, lip-synching to Michael’s catchy lyrics. The model-filled cast drew inspiration from British Vogue’s January 1990 cover, which fronted a black and white portrait shot by Peter Lindbergh of said models. Directed by Gone Girl’s David Fincher and styled by Vogue contributing editor Camilla Nickerson, the unforgettable clip exemplified the supermodel movement of the decade and lives on to be one of fashion’s notable moments. This year, in honor of its 26th Anniversary, Vogue remade the iconic video with a bevy of models, including Adriana Lima, Joan Smalls , Taylor Hill, Anna Ewers, and Irina Shayk, who lip-synched their way around the streets of New York City dressed head-to-toe in New York-based designers’ Spring 2017 ready-to-wear collections.
Watch George Michael’s Freedom!’90 video.
Opening image: Vogue UK, January 1990. Photographed by Peter Lindbergh. Courtesy of Condé Nast
