Kristen McMenamy on Steven Meisel, Insecurity, and What Makes a Good Model | Fashion Neurosis

Kristen McMenamy is an American model. Born in Pennsylvania, she rose to fame in the 1990s as part of the legendary group of Supermodels including Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista. McMenamy was a muse to Peter Lindbergh and Karl Lagerfield, and her short dark hair and bleached eyebrows made her an icon of the early 90s grunge scene, appearing in the famous American Vogue “Grunge and Glory” spread shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Grace Coddington. Known for her unconventional, androgynous look, she has worked with many of the world’s most iconic fashion photographers, including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Arthur Elgort, Tim Walker, and Juergen Teller, who described her as “the best model I have ever worked with”. After taking a hiatus to raise her children, McMenamy returned to modelling in the mid 2000s. She is more in demand than ever, a favourite of Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford and has appeared on a multitude of covers including British Vogue in 2022. She regularly walks in the shows of top designers including Miu Miu, Tom Ford, and Valentino. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Kristen McMenamy discuss how insecurity can make a good model, Karl Lagerfeld, and the artistry of the selfie. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:22 What are you wearing today? 00:01:52 Childhood Pin-Ups and Modelling 00:09:30 90s Supermodels 00:13:55 Garren and Steven Meisel 00:17:44 External impressions and assumptions 00:20:18 Childhood obsessions 00:23:41 Transition from girlhood to womanhood 00:32:07 School and bullying 00:33:58 What makes a good model 00:36:00 Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel 00:39:47 Ru Paul’s Drag Race 00:43:49 Steven Meisel 00:46:55 Instagram and Art 00:51:38 Dressing in relationships 00:55:27 If you fancy someone… 00:57:17 Memoir writing 01:01:15 Outro