Steph Claire Smith’s shock career move - ‘I just thought maybe it was never going to happen’

Steph Claire Smith is the new global face of Seafolly Australia. The mother of one though thought her chances with the brand were over.

Super influencer Steph Claire Smith burst into tears when she found out she’d landed a global campaign for top Aussie swimwear brand, Seafolly.

The 29-year-old mother of one thought her time had come and gone.

“I actually started crying because I was so overwhelmed,” Smith told The Daily Telegraph.

“It was a dream of mine … the first bikini I ever bought myself was off the back of Jess Hart’s campaign. I knew from then that I wanted to get into modelling and then when I did get into it, it was my goal to one day do their global campaign.”

Steph Claire Smith as the new global ambassador and face of Seafolly’s ‘Back to Paradise’ campaign. Picture: Simon Lekias

Smith stepped back from full time modelling a few years back and with that move, thought her Seafolly dream had ended.

Not so as she now follows in the footsteps of big names like Miranda Kerr, Gigi Hadid, Samantha Harris, Behati Prinsloo and Marloes Horst.

Smith takes over as global ambassador from Georgina Burke.

“I just thought maybe it was never going to happen,” she said.

Steph Claire Smith for Seafolly. Picture: Simon Lekias

Steph Claire Smith for Seafolly. Picture: Simon Lekias

Steph Claire Smith for Seafolly. Picture: Simon Lekias

“I put it to the back of my mind as a bit of a dream so when the prospect of it happening came back up, it was crazy.”

Smith, who has spoken openly about her body image issues, said the timing now was perfect.

“If I had got this job back then, especially in my early 20s when I was struggling with my body image and picking myself apart, I would have felt like I had to prep for the shoot and change my diet and change my exercise routine and probably would have felt a lot of pressure,” she explained.

“With where I am at now in my life and where I am at with my body with having my son (two-year-old Harvey), I think I was able to be myself and have fun with it and enjoy the day.”