During the late Eighties, Estelle LeFebure was one of fashion's most celebrated models. Hailing from Dieppe in France, a then nineteen year old LeFebure was discovered whilst on a day trip to Paris. Standing at 175 cm in height, LeFebure formed part of a band of models during the Eighties who sported fuller-figured, athletic physiques. LeFebure regularly collaborated with photographers such as Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Richard Avedon, Gilles Bensimon, Marc Hispard, Francesco Scavullo and Herb Ritts. Consequently, LeFebure became a staple model for American Vogue, American Elle and British Vogue and appeared on the cover of American Vogue a staggering seven times throughout her modelling career.
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| British Vogue - June 1987 Photographer - Patrick Demarchelier |
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| French ELLE - March 1989 Photographer - Marc Hispard |
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| British Vogue - June 1987 Photographer - Patrick Demarchelier |
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| US ELLE - Unknown Photographer - Gilles Bensimon Source - thefashionspot.com |
For me, LeFebure was simply a delight to behold. Blessed with a raw, unadulterated beauty and an incandescent smile, LeFebure was the very embodiment of the natural, healthy look of the Eighties. LeFebure along with models Elle MacPherson, Stephanie Seymour, Paulina Porizkova, Christy Turlington and Ashley Richardson, were photographed regularly by Gilles Bensimon for American Elle which spearheaded the trend toward models with fuller, lush figures.
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| US Vogue - May 1988 Photographer - Richard Avedon |
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| Glamour - March 1989 Photographer - Paul Lange |
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| Cosmopolitan - June 1988 Photographer - Francesco Scavullo |
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| US Vogue - June 1989 Photographer - Peter Lindbergh |
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| US ELLE - October 1987 Photographer -Gilles Bensimon |
LeFebure's incredible range as a model, which could alternate from femme fatale to that of the girl next door, made her popular with a diverse range of publications from US Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, Glamour and Self. LeFebure's appearances in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and George Michael's Too Funky music clip made her a household name and set pulses racing. When I reminisce about the original supermodels from the Eighties, it is LeFebure's sublime beauty, charisma and personality which remind me of what first fuelled my interest in models.
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| British Vogue - Unknown Photographer - Herb Ritts Source - thefashionspot.com |
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| US Vogue - June 1989 Photographer - Peter Lindbergh |
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| Sports Illustrated Swimsuit - 1988 Photographer - Marc Hispard |
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| Estelle Lefebure, Karen Alexander, Rachel Williams, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz & Christy Turlington British Vogue - August 1988 Photographer - Peter Lindbergh |