In the video “Inside The Wardrobe of Claudia Schiffer for British Vogue”, the German top model, who wore, by the way, a pair of slim Sylvie jeans from Frame, reveals that a third of her wardrobe is dedicated to denim. And not just jeans in a variety of washes, but also shirts, handbags, and even wedges.

Denim is central to Claudia Schiffer's career

That's not surprising, given that almost as many iconic Claudia Schiffer moments are tied to a humble pair of jeans as they are to high fashion. In the late '80s, she became a household name, sporting skinny jeans, a lace corset, and a 50's blonde hairdo in Guess Jeans campaigns. "Shot by Ellen Von Unwerth, the campaign was a defining moment in my career," says Claudia Schiffer. "We met in Paris when I was 17 and we were both starting out in the business. We hit it off right away, hanging out near the Pompidou Center and me posing for pictures in my own clothes, my faded T-shirts, Levi's included."

The mid-90s were also dominated by iconic Chanel denim moments. Claudia Schiffer looked radiant on the runway of the fall/winter 1993 show in an embroidered denim total look and CC logo cowboy boots. "The campaign was shot by Karl [Lagerfeld] in Munich, and we were both so happy to be back in our home country," she says. "We indulged in our favorite German delicacies, like hefeklöse (yeast dumplings), German sausages, and sauerkraut, and we tried to convince the rest of the team to participate... They weren't convinced!"

Claudia Schiffer has been a fan of the Frame brand since its launch:

Moments spent in denim in Claudia Schiffer's teenage years include "faded high-waisted jeans from Chipie paired with oversized sweatshirts from Fiorucci, blue eye shadow and lots of hairspray," but her more recent memories of looks worn outside of her modeling work are tied to Frame. "Denim has always played a big part in my life and my favorite uniform is jeans and a cotton sweater or blouse. I've been wearing Frame's designs since they launched in 2012. The fit and details are so good."

"She is the quintessential Frame muse."

The Los Angeles-based brand partnered with the top model in 2020 for a collection to benefit UNICEF, which was also celebrating its 50th anniversary. "She's been featured on countless mood boards over the years and is the quintessential Frame muse," says Erik Torstensson, the brand's co-founder and creative director.

Now the brand has collaborated with the supermodel again, this time for a collection of loose-fitting button-down jeans and knitwear, the starting point of which was a Frame fall/winter 2021 sweater in Fair Isle wool that Claudia Schiffer couldn't live without. "It was so beautiful and soft and reminiscent of the traditional knits I grew up wearing in Germany. It piqued my curiosity about how it was designed and produced," she explains.

"We worked together on what her designs would look like and really considered the extra details Claudia wanted to see included," Erik Torstensson says of the collection, which includes a pair of '70s-inspired "Le Hardy" wide-leg faded jeans with exposed buttons, a cherry-red sweater perfect for après-ski, and a Breton-striped sweater inspired by the French style of Jane Birkin and Sylvie Vartan. "From the design stage, it was all about creating a capsule that was rooted in Claudia's European aesthetic, and timeless pieces to invest in."

"I wanted to make sure I would love and wear this collection for years to come, that's the key criteria," the top model adds. "I've kept so many treasured pieces [over the years], like vintage jeans, cropped sweaters, and twinsets... they're like old friends," Claudia Schiffer enthuses. Looks like she'll have to make a little more room in her dressing room.