Claudia Schiffer: see how the queen of the catwalk has changed

To talk about Claudia Schiffer is to talk about an icon of the 90s. Born on August 25, 1970 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany as the daughter of a lawyer, she became a star at age 20, in 1987. An advertising agent noticed her in a Düsseldorf nightclub and the rest is history.

Claudia Schiffer recalls that she was successful in class but not the most popular girl. As a teenager, she had the complex of being very tall and the target of bullying by some of her classmates. However, her luck changed when she entered the fashion world.

After her debut, when the prestigious photographer Walter Chin captured her for the French version of ELLE magazine, Claudia Schiffer went to Paris to make a name for herself among the top models of the moment. She succeeded, in part, thanks to the support of designer Karl Lagerfeld. The late couturier chose her as the face of Chanel.

Soon enough, the blond, tall model (1.80m / 5'9 ft) with intense blue eyes became one of the most demanded mannequins of the 90s. Brands like Guess, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Ralph Lauren constantly knocked on her door.

In the first half of the 90s, when Claudia Schiffer was already known worldwide, she wanted to try her luck at acting. In 'Richie Rich,' with Macaulay Culkin, she had her first role in 1994. However, it was not a great success for the supermodel.

Photo: "Richie Rich" / Warner Bros.

In 2003, Claudia Schiffer made a small appearance in the hit film 'Love Actually.' She had a semi-cameo of a few seconds in the movie.

The model even ventured into the business world by creating the famous (and unsuccessful) Fashion Cafe, with other top models of the moment like Elle McPherson, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell. It was a catering company that, although initially having a good chance, ended up failing.

Claudia Schiffer has also made headlines for her personal life. She dated the illusionist David Copperfield when she was 23 years old. Their love, including an engagement, lasted from 1993 through 1999.

After she broke up with the famous magician, the man of her life arrived. In 2000, Claudia Schiffer began a relationship with the English director and producer Matthew Vaughn. The couple married in 2002 in Suffolk, England. By then, Claudia Schiffer was already 32 years old.

In January 2003, Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn's first child, Caspar Matthew, was born; in November 2004, the second child, Clémentine, arrived; and in May 2014, the youngest of the family, Cosima Violet, was born.

Retiring from the catwalks, Claudia Schiffer began focusing on the work of a photo model. Recently, she collaborated with brands like Mango, Chanel, and Guess.

However, in 2010, her media presence began to decline. The supermodel focused on other projects, focused on family life in Oxfordshire (England) where she lives with her husband and three children, and decided to pass the baton to other emerging models.

"I’ve had many wonderful compliments in my time," Claudia Schiffer told the British edition of ELLE magazine, "It’s a nice memory, but then the next generation starts and you hand over. For me, it’s a natural thing to do... to hand over, to not be envious or jealous."

During all these years, while Claudia Schiffer continued to do photo shoots, she became interested in other projects, such as ceramics or the world of cinema. This time, she didn't want to film as an actress but as a producer.

Claudia Schiffer has invested her money, together with her husband, in films like 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' and 'Rocketman'. She has signed as 'Claudia Vaughn' for her role as a film producer.

In 2017, the model presented an autobiographical book called 'Claudia Schiffer,' containing hundreds of photos that trace her long career in the fashion world.

Three decades after her heydays on the catwalk, Claudia Schiffer reflected in ELLE magazine on her past: "It was insane... like being like a rock star."

"You couldn’t get to your car unless a path was carved for you. People would cut holes in the fashion tents and try to take pictures of us," the German model recalls.

These were times when she felt very safe despite everything since, as she told ELLE, there was always a bodyguard with her. That person especially looked after... her underwear! "When I was out on the runway I’d come back and constantly my underwear would be gone – my bra, my knickers... gone!"

Currently, Claudia Schiffer lives a much more relaxed life with her family in the countryside. She is very active on social media, where she posts photos of her children or moments from her good old days. Matthew and Clementine prefer to stay out of the spotlight and both have private social media accounts.

Even if she seems withdrawn from the world, her brief appearances show that she has not necessarily said her last word. Will we see other projects from the beautiful Claudia Schiffer? There is no doubt that they would be very popular.