Modelling has moved on from stick-thin girls who starve themselves, Elle Macpherson says

SUPERMODEL Elle Macpherson has opened up about the state of the industry, the end of stick-thin models, and her family life in America.

YOU don’t get a three-decade modelling career like Elle Macpherson’s by starving yourself and surviving on a diet of cocaine and celery sticks.

Those stereotypes of stick-thin beauties fasting for days before a shoot are less and less reflective of reality, the Australian supermodel believes.

But there’s no doubt the industry still places enormous pressure on girls — many of whom begin working in their early teens.

“I remember myself at that age — I was like a sponge,” Macpherson reflects.

It’s why her special guest appearance next week on Australia’s Next Top Model sees her swing into a familiar protective mentor mode. For years, she was the host and executive producer of the British equivalent of the reality television show.

“I’m quite considered and thoughtful about what I say. I think it’s important to connect with the girls by putting yourself in their position.”

And as a role model, Macpherson says she feels a responsibility to deliver positive messages.

“Being healthy, getting an education, being well-mannered, listening … that’s what we should be telling these girls — all girls really,” Macpherson says.

“It’s important to look after your body. Nutrition is number one. You can’t starve yourself; you shouldn’t try to be too thin. Strong is the new sexy. Those are the messages I try to give them.”

Spending time with the current crop of hopefuls reminded her of the high calibre of established local models, who continue to do well on the world stage.

Models like Shanina Shaik, Jessica Gomes, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and Montana Cox are some of the latest ‘it’ girls, who alongside superstars like Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Jessica Hart are some of the most in-demand faces in the business.

Macpherson admits she’s in a reflective mood lately.

Perhaps it’s that her 18-year-old son Flynn is now older than she was when she set off on a three-month trip to America after school, and stumbled into the world of modelling.

Or maybe it’s that her initial steps into her 50s, the next phase of her life — a new era of growth and evolution — have felt a lot like “going through puberty again”.

The Body, as she came to be known in the industry, suddenly breaks into a rendition of Peter Allen’s famed anthem to his homeland.

“No matter how far, or how wide I roam …” Macpherson, 52, sings, beaming her famous smile. “I still call Australia home.”

She’s roamed far in her life, with stints living in London, New York and now Miami, plus travel to just about every major city on earth.

“Australia will always be home to me,” she says.

“I love being here and seeing my friends and family. I miss so much. I usually race straight to a corner shop to buy a Paddle Pop the moment I’m back. I like the banana ones but they don’t seem to make them anymore.

“And they seem smaller. They used to be much bigger, I’m sure.”

All that said, Macpherson believes home is where the heart is. When we meet, it’s firmly here in Sydney on a stunningly warm late winter’s afternoon, after she’s spent the day shopping in Paddington and filming in Randwick.

A few days later when she arrives back in Miami and is reunited with husband Jeffrey Soffer, son Flynn and her youngest Aurelius, 13, that’ll feel more homely than anywhere else.

But the devoted mum is bracing herself for a big change.

“Flynn is moving from Miami to Boston (for university) and it’s like, wow. I’m dreading it,” Macpherson admits.

“I can’t imagine what my mother felt when I left at 17. It was just normal though — kids just sort of got up and went off to explore. I was supposed to be gone for a few months but it ended up being 35 years, so things didn’t go exactly to plan.”

The plan was to come home to go to law school but instead Macpherson landed a modelling job while in New York in 1981.

Over the coming years, she rocketed to the top of the business and became one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ — part of the original and exclusive crop of mega star models, alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen and Claudia Schiffer.

Getting there proved to be quite a bumpy journey, Macpherson recalls.

“Someone recently sent me footage of me when I had just started out and it’s quite funny.

“I’ve got really dark hair and bangs, a thick accent … I was asked how I felt about finding success in America. I replied: ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m going to be a model. It’s just an experience.’ I was so dismissive of it all.”

Macpherson’s casual approach to work initially earned her a bit of a reputation for being unprofessional. In reality, she was more blasé than diva.

“It’s an industry you need to take seriously, but I didn’t. I didn’t take myself seriously.

“I remember one shoot, very early on, showing up and seeing so many other girls. They weren’t using me and I was standing in a line all day, not doing anything. So I just left.

“My agent was furious and was like, how could you do that? I didn’t think they needed me — I walked off the job, and it was a really big job. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Naive she might’ve been but her striking beauty and fresh look overshadowed those early missteps. TV commercials and high-profile photo shoots saw her rise to fame as the ultimate ‘girl next door’.

Not everyone was convinced the 183-centimetre tall Aussie could carve a serious career though.

“Someone quite well known once told me that brown-eyed girls never got on the cover of a magazine,” she recalls.

“It really affected me at the time. I didn’t even try because of that. I just thought, oh well, they only like blue-eyed girls in this world.”

As it turned out, the editors of the biggest fashion titles in the world loved her. Macpherson has graced the front of just about every magazine there is, often several times over.

While the fashion world adored her, the overwhelmed model usually felt like an impostor.

“In America or when I’d go to Europe for work, the other girls had such great fashion sense and I had no clue. I didn’t read fashion mags growing up. I didn’t have Vogue — National Geographic was my monthly read.

“I felt out of my depth. That’s what pulled me towards doing more bathing suits and active stuff — I didn’t know anything about fashion.

“As I got older, I did more branding and later business. That’s what I had an understanding for.”

Elle Macpherson Inc is now a major, multi-million dollar corporate entity and its many ventures have included workout videos, lingerie, cosmetics, fashion lines, healthcare products and TV production endeavours.

“I’m still working today and it’s because I’ve evolved and adapted to the circumstances of the business, and that’s what makes longevity in a career.”

Modelling now compared to 35 years ago couldn’t be more different, Macpherson says.

Social media has had a significant impact on the industry, particularly the photo-sharing app Instagram, which seems to produce a new ‘personality’ every other day.

“That’s an interesting development,” she says somewhat sceptically.

“You can have two million followers, but who are they? They could be truck drivers from Ohio — not that there’s anything wrong with truck drivers from Ohio. But are they going to buy your beauty or fashion products?

“You’ve got to see behind the numbers and popularity. What’s the value of that? Can it convert to something tangible?

“I have an online business and the conversion rate from clicks to sales is a very important matrix for us. Similarly, someone with a lot of followers … doesn’t necessarily convert into sales.”

Macpherson isn’t sure if the Instagram element would make modelling easier or harder for those starting out now.

Reflecting on her remarkable life so far, Macpherson says a friend recently pointed out her tendency to laugh all the time. It’s a trait she puts down to feeling fulfilled.

“I’m doing lots of different things, I’m exploring, I’m creating and I’m working, I’m active and I’m healthy. I love my children and I love my husband. Things are good.

“I’m not saying it’s easy. Not at all. I have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks, great months and tougher moments, just like everyone else.

“Things are complicated sometimes, especially when you’re changing, growing and evolving. I’ve discovered that never stops. It’s like going through puberty again — it’s not always comfortable!”

AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL AIRS TUESDAY, 7.30PM, FOX8.

Originally published as Modelling has moved on from stick-thin girls who starve themselves, Elle Macpherson says