Of course, what we see in the magazines is not exactly an accurate depiction of the supermodel lifestyle.
Still, McWha would remain in the industry for 20 years having started at just 16 years old.
“Being so young,” she explained, “I only saw dollar signs.”
Being a supermodel paid well then, and has only become a more lucrative career.
You might be surprised to learn justhowlucrative.
Here’s what many of the world’s supermodels are taking home today.
One of the things that sets the Angels apart is their paycheck.
AsInsiderreported, 11 of the 17 highest paid models onForbes' 2016list either had been or presently were Angels.
WhenForbesreleased their “Highest-Paid Models” list in 2018, no current Angels made the cut.
By 2018, Kroes had been a model for15 years.
“I definitely fell into this position,” she said in an interview withpr.com.
I had lots of troubles with being homesick, but I went for it.
I had no idea when I was in Holland what Victoria’s Secret was.
In just three years' time, Smalls’annualincome has increased by $3 million.
Not only does Smalls have a strong work ethic, she’s also financially savvy.
“I’m actually really good with money.
I don’t spend a lot,” she toldHarper’s Bazaar Arabia.
Smalls compared herself to a squirrel “stashing things away” for a later date.
At just 22 years old, Hadid is also the youngest model to make the cut.
She may be young, but Hadid lives a fast-paced, career-oriented life.
“I travel a lot and I often work directly after landing,” she explained to BritishVogue.
In summer 2018 alone, Hadid was booked for appearances at the Met Gala and Fashion for Relief.
Additionally, she was scheduled to travel to Paris, New York, Cannes, and Monaco for work.
But 2018 wasn’t her first year in the business.
Hadid got her start in modeling back in 2014 atthe Desigual Spring 2015 fashion show.
The supermodel’s older sister, Gigi Hadid, also made the cut.
Together, the two sisters made history by becomingthe first siblingsto have ever appeared on the list together.
“Bella and I have very different styles,” the supermodel toldElle.
In a lot of ways, she inspires me.
We learn from each other."
Like her sister, though, Hadid is very career-minded.
These days, she spends much of her time working or travelingtowork.
Hadid accredits her work ethic to her parents.
“My mom was a model.
She moved to the States when she was 16 to send money back to her family in Holland.
My dad was a refugee and worked his way up in every way,” she revealed toElle.
“I work hard to honor my parents.”
Gisele Bundchen’s post-retirement income
In 2007, Gisele Bundchen officially hung up her Angel wings.
At that time, Bundchen wasthe 16th richest woman in the entertainment industry.
Later, in 2015,Bundchen also made the decision to retirefrom the runway altogether.
Despite having retired from the catwalk, Bundchen isstillone of the world’s highest paid models.
The model’s skin condition worsened with stress.
Ashealth.comreported, Delevingne walked in over four dozen runway shows in justoneseason.
That wasn’t the only reason Delevingne stepped away from her career, though.
“It didn’t make me grow at all as a human being.
And I kind of forgot how young I was.
…I felt so old.”
Yet and still, Delevingne made acolorful and lucrative return to the runway in 2018.
That year,Delevingne earned a whopping $10 million.
Huntington-Whiteley took home $11.5 million in that year alone.
“It sounds so cliched, but [motherhood has] just been the most magical experience.
…This is what I want to pour my heart into now,” she toldHarper’s Bazaar.
“Hashtag blessed, right?”
Teigen didn’t fully pursue her love of cooking until after the birth of her first child, Luna.
Suffering from postpartum depression, the supermodel turned to cooking as a way to heal.
Karlie Kloss' step-by-step income
Supermodel Karlie Kloss made an incredible$13 million in 2018.
However, this wasn’t the 20-something’s first year in the modeling business.
And, she was alreadyveryfamiliar with fame and fortune.
At that time, the association estimated her earnings at around 1.8 million (roughly $2.3 million).
By that math, Kloss made well overfivetimes as much money in 2018 as she did in 2015.
But even before she became a high-earning model, she knew she wanted to give back in some way.
By April 2018, the supermodel’s organization grew from one camp to 12 across the United States.
In just one year, Jenner took home $22.5 million.
Jenner alone is responsible for bringing in nearly 20 percent.
Additionally, the models' cumulative income was $3.5 million more than the year prior.
Being a supermodel pays well, for sure, butCNNMoneydubbed the cost of being a model “outrageous.”
And, well, they’re right.
For models who are independent contractors, their agency fees may range as high as 20 percent.
Model Lorelei Shellist once brought a lawsuit against the agencies charging such high commissions, but to no avail.
“Nothing has changed.
Nobody has enforced the laws,” she explained.
And, plenty of others never for one reason or another make the transition from model to supermodel.
Ziff cited a “lack of financial transparency” as the root of the problem in the industry.
Frustratingly, being by and large youngandfemale works against models trying to earn a fair wage.
In 2018,InStylehighlighted 14 women, dubbing them “the new class of high-fashion runway models.”
One such up-and-comer, Remington Williams, was discovered while she was working at Chipotle in Texas.
She’s not wrong.
However, it’s likely that Williams did not make atonfor walking at Fashion Week.
One professional model toldRefinery29that modeling at Fashion Week is more about “exposure.”
That’s a far cry from Kendall Jenner’s paycheck, that’s for sure.
