Claudia Schiffer's comment that "supermodels don't exist anymore" was way off the mark

Louis Vuitton's latest advertising campaign is hard to miss-the eye is immediately drawn to six gorgeous bodies lolling on a vibrant, yellow 1970s Dodge Challenger. Toting the latest Vuitton handbags, the sirens beckon with their seductive, confident gaze. But wait a minute, surely that's Claudia on the hood of the car, and that must be Naomi on the roof. And look, there's Eva draped across the trunk! The fact that we are able to instantly identify and name them is proof positive of the enduring power and fascination of the original supermodels.

The luxury sector has embraced the return of these iconic beauties, aware that potential female consumers relate far more to these women than to a pale, skinny teenage model from Serbia. And with the current shelf life of models lasting about as long as a pot of organic yogurt, it is comforting to know that we can still roll off the veteran supermodels' names with ease. Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, Eva Herzigova and Linda Evangelista- the undisputed queens of the catwalk in the 1990s-are now being courted by the most prestigious luxury brands to endorse their products.

Moss is looking sexily disheveled in the latest David Yurman campaign. Herzigova is dripping in Chopard jewels. Crawford is an articulate and philanthropic Omega spokesperson. Turlington, bedecked in Roberto Coin jewels, is wielding the Midas touch. Not so long ago, tabloid headlines, and even Claudia Schiffer, heralded the "death of the supermodel." The age of model super egos, super tantrums and super wages-summed up and immortalized by Linda Evangelista's line that "we don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day"-had waned by the end of the 1990s. Today's catwalks are populated with anonymous, certainly less memorable, models succumbing to the reality of globalization and market forces 57 where supply is clearly outweighing demand. However, in an astute and impeccably timed move, the original supermodels have risen from the ashes of a bygone era.

Obviously Mother Nature dished out generously in the genetics department, but how many times do pretty faces end up being just that, a pretty face? According to Storm model agency founder Sarah Doukas, who discovered Kate Moss at JFK airport in 1988, a good model needs cheekbones and a well-defined jawline. Fair enough, but for a model to survive the changing tides of celebrity, reinventing oneself is the name of the game. Eva Herzigova's transition from explosive Wonderbra chick to the refined and sophisticated face behind Chopard jewels speaks volumes.

Marc Jacobs, artistic director of the French luxury emporium Louis Vuitton, understands the difference between a model and a supermodel. Working with Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova, Stephanie Seymour, Angela Lindvall and Natalia Vodianova on the Spring/Summer 08 campaign was, he says, "wonderful… they have character and personality, they're these larger-than-life characters, they're all very different but very iconic and bold."

Moving gracefully into their third and fourth decades, these women have a red-carpet pizzazz tempered with a dash of reality. They are, or so their biographers would have us believe, real women with relationships, businesses to run, boisterous children and all the mess of daily life. That's why we like them more. We have seen them grow up and grow older, which goes against the grain of the fashion industry.

Among the original supermodels, Kate Moss still commands the most attention. Her rock 'n' roll private life might keep the paparazzi and tabloids busy, but she is a consummate professional when it comes to work. Her beautifully chiseled features and lithe limbs currently grace no fewer than 14 high-profile ad campaigns-a record in an already illustrious career-and her earnings are reported to have tripled to £30 million a year. Forbes magazine ranked Moss the second top-earning supermodel in 2007. On the style front, she can't go wrong either-she was named Britain's best-dressed woman by Glamour magazine this year.

Longchamp, the French maison renowned for its fine leather goods, has used Moss's image for the past four seasons. Who can forget the provocative ads featuring a very naked Moss and a strategically placed Longchamp handbag? Photographed by Mario Sorrenti, the latest Spring/Summer 2008 campaign sees her set against a Brooklyn skyline with bright, vibrantly colored handbags, including the newly redesigned Legend tote bag.

Jewelry mogul David Yurman, whose signature line of twisted cable-link work has won fans the world over, has been capitalizing on Moss's status since signing her for last year's spring campaign. Her effortless cool complements a New York company, born not long after she was, which seeks, in Yurman's own words, "to fuse art, fashion and fine jewelry". Watch out, too, for Amber Valletta, another contemporary of Moss, who is the face of Yurman's first fragrance, due out in August.

Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington were quick to capitalize on their celebrity. "I've realized 'Cindy Crawford' is a product. I decide how to use that image. It's a business," states Crawford on her web page as she juggles her skincare and home furnishings line, her family and her role as Omega's longest-serving ambassadress. Turlington is happily married with children, runs her own active wear and skincare company, and lends her striking looks to Roberto Coin's jewelry campaigns. To top it all, like many of her supermodel sisters, she donates to charitable causes.

Take one look at Claudia Schiffer in the new ads for Chanel and Ferragamo and you realize that her comment that "supermodels don't exist anymore" was way off the mark. Karl Lagerfeld first catapulted her into stardom with Chanel more than 15 years ago, and here she is, once again the face of one of the most famous fashion houses. And Schiffer must have jumped at the chance to work with world-famous photographer Mario Testino on the latest Ferragamo ad campaign; she still has two Ferragamo handbags from her school days.

Long live the supermodel, a unique species that has adapted with chameleon prowess and is proving that some things do get better with age.