Supermodel Cindy Crawford, renowned for her iconic long locks, recently revealed a deeply personal and unsettling experience that forever altered her perspective on her modeling career. In a candid discussion featured in the Apple TV+ docuseries, “The Super Models,” which chronicles the meteoric rise of fashion icons like Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell, Cindy opened up about a pivotal moment during her early days in the industry.
Crawford, who was just 18 years old at the time, recalled a fateful encounter with renowned photographer Patrick Demarchelier. During their meeting, Demarchelier proposed a significant change that would have a profound impact on her appearance. “He said, ‘Fine, I’ll book her to go to Rome, but I want her to cut her hair off,'” Crawford recounted. While it’s not uncommon for photographers and fashion professionals to suggest hair transformations for a shoot, such requests are typically treated as optional.
In this particular instance, Cindy Crawford’s agency, along with her own convictions, led her to decline the request. She explained, “My agency and I decided no, it wasn’t worth it, so we said, ‘No, she’s not cutting her hair,’ and they said ‘Fine, we’ll take her any way.'” It was a moment of excitement and anticipation for the young model, as she saw this as a significant career opportunity. However, what followed was nothing short of a traumatic experience.
On her very first night in Rome, Crawford was surprised when a hairdresser arrived at her room. Without seeking her consent, they proceeded to comb her hair into a ponytail and swiftly severed it. The supermodel was left in shock, recounting the moment, “I was in shock. And I just sat there in a hotel room in Rome crying. And if people wonder why I never really cut my hair since then, that’s why. Because I was so traumatized.”
Beyond the violation of her physical self, the incident left Cindy Crawford feeling voiceless and powerless in an industry that often dictates one’s image. She expressed, “I really felt like I was not seen as a person who had a voice in her own destiny. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my hair short; it was that I hadn’t voted myself in to have short hair.”
The traumatic haircut nearly led Crawford to exit the modeling world, with thoughts that she wasn’t prepared for the demands it placed on her. Fortunately, she persevered and went on to have an illustrious career in the fashion industry. Over time, her relationship with Patrick Demarchelier evolved, and they even shared a laugh about the hair incident in a 1995 interview. However, at the time of the incident, Demarchelier’s reaction had been far from empathetic, as he had laughed while she cried.
Cindy Crawford’s revelation sheds light on the challenges faced by models in an industry that often prioritizes aesthetics over individual agency, reminding us of the significance of respecting personal boundaries and choices in the world of fashion.
