I am very excited to introduce you to Season 4 of my Style DNA podcast … launching today with none other than the Supermodel who is known (for good reason) as The Body…the exquisite, effortlessly chic and serene Elle Macpherson. Elle is not only a Supermodel, she is a Mother, Businesswoman, Television Host and an Actress.
I loved our conversation …we discuss her personal style journey, growing up in Australia and not really being into fashion as she spent most of her time outside in nature. By her own admission she took a leap of faith into modelling as a way of making some pocket money while at University. The universe clearly had a different plan for her and before she knew it she was modelling New York, working with all the top fashion photographers and gracing the covers of all the major magazines. In 1989 Time magazine coined her nickname “The Body” after she had appeared on 3 successive Sports Illustrated covers…(with 2 more to come). At the tender age of 21 she married the famous French photographer Giles Bensimon (20 years her senior) in a glorious and avant guard Azzedine Alaia couture gown. She is open about how it felt to effectively grow up in front of the lens whilst being styled to be endless different women… and working out her own personal style when she was not in front of the lens…
She tells me about the 180 degree shift in perception…when she first started in the modelling world, the more distanced you were from your audience, the more iconic you were and the more successful you were… and how today, the closer you are to your community, the more accessible you are, the more successful you are…and navigating those changes. Not to mention being on the covers of magazines still at 60…
We chat about the challenge of staying stylish as the years creep by and how staying true to your essence is one of the most powerful style statements we can make… her thoughts are considered, eloquent and thought provoking.
Elle’s beauty is undeniable but it is far more than skin deep … she has been on a wellness journey, inspired by turning 50 and “hitting a wall” and not being able to rely on genetics any longer…she says she didn’t recognise herself anymore. Her personal journey led her to the creation of her highly acclaimed WelleCo brand of “clean, plant-based elixirs & boosters backed by science, driven by nature”. She is the embodiment of beauty coming from within… and it was a great privilege that she shared so much with me in this episode.
