Schiffer, Claudia (1970- )

German model. Known for her statuesque blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty and curvaceous figure, she was one of the top supermodels of the 1990s. She gained international recognition when she became the model for the fashion label Guess? in 1989. Since then she has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers around the world and has modelled for a range of designers and cosmetics companies, such as Versace, Chanel, Victoria's Secret, Revlon, and L'Oréal.

She was one of the founders, along with fellow supermodels Elle MacPherson, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell, of the Fashion Café chain of restaurants (1994-2000). She began acting in films during the mid 1990s, although with less successful results. She first appeared in a cameo role in the family comedy Richie Rich (1994), followed by the drama The Blackout (1997), the romantic comedy Friends and Lovers (1999), the hip-hop drama Black and White (1999), the thriller In Pursuit (2001), and the comedy Love Actually (2003).

She was born and grew up in Düsseldorf, Germany. After being discovered in a German discotheque by a modelling agent in 1987, she appeared on the covers of several fashion magazines, such as Elle and Vogue, and launched a modelling career spanning three decades. She has also released an annual calendar, exercise videos, two autobiographies, and a Barbie doll made to her likeness. She was engaged to the US magician David Copperfield 1994-99 and married English film producer Matthew Vaughn (1971- ) in 2002.