Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Can I get old without a saggy bum?
ROSIE Huntington-Whiteley says she is looking forward to being an older soul — even though her mum has warned her “It’s no fun getting old, Rosie”.
Stellar
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When people Google you, the top searches are Rosie Huntington-Whiteley hair, make-up and diet. Do you ever wish that people weren’t so interested in your appearance?
It’s what I do. I’m a model. It would be like saying to an athlete, “Do you ever wish that people cared more about you rather than your skill or sport?” I am very comfortable with what I do. Ultimately, the people who really know me, know there’s more to me than just my appearance. There’s one saying that I always love: “People don’t necessarily remember what you were wearing or what you said, they remember how you made them feel.” I hope that when anyone’s spending time with me, I make them feel good.
You can’t leave a gym, go to an airport or wear a satin top without making international headlines. How does that feel to a girl from Devon, England?
It’s still very odd, I’m not going to lie. I feel like I come and I do my job and then I have my private life; my real life. I have a good balance of that. A lot of young models’ whole lives are documented and there’s never an opportunity to just close the door on it. I can dip in and dip out of it. It’s really important to maintain that – I can go places and still be real and have that quiet time to myself away from it all. You can travel to the end of the earth and think you’re in private, and wake up the next day to pictures of you [in the media]. It can be overwhelming at times, but I try to see the positive – it’s an excuse to put on a good outfit and walk out the door.
Living such a public life, do you have any secret talents?
Trust me, if I’ve got a talent, people know about it. I don’t think I have any hidden talents that I would want to share that were appropriate… [laughs]
The people who really know me, know there’s more to me than just my appearance
You have single-handedly made UGG boots cool again as the brand’s first female global ambassador. Are you proud of that achievement?
Thanks, but I don’t know about that – they have always been so cool. I bought my first pair of UGG boots when I was 16 and at that time UGG were really big. They had just hit the scene and all my favourite style icons were wearing them. I just had to have some. Since then, I’ve always owned a pair – not the same pair!
Is it acceptable to wear UGG boots with denim shorts?
Absolutely! That’s how I wear mine – with a little pair of vintage denim cut-offs on the beach in the winter sun. They make your legs look nice and long. UGG speaks to the off-duty part of me, the softer side, the intimate part of my life. People are used to seeing me polished and done up to the nines; they don’t realise I go home and I take all that off and I’m just me.
Your life does look very glamorous from the outside. What are the biggest downsides to being a model?
Being on a plane all the time. I’m almost constantly jet-lagged. Every couple of weeks, I’m making an international trip out of the States or England, going off to Asia or Australia. When you’re constantly moving from one place to the next, it’s very hard to be grounded and healthy. I recently had six weeks in LA and before I left, I felt so great, my skin was so clear, I didn’t feel tired. I thought: this is what it’s like to not travel. The other downside is connecting with your friends and your loved ones. You’re always away from somebody. People don’t always understand why you’re on the go and they find it frustrating. A lot of your relationships are spent over the phone. Thank god for FaceTime. It’s a lifesaver.
Who are your dachshunds, Dolly and Peggy, named after?
Dolly Parton and Peggy Sue. They’re my true American girls. Dachshunds are so funny; they have big personalities. Dolly and Peggy just seemed like they had to have human names.
You came in fifth on Forbes’ highest paid models list this year, beating Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss. What does money mean to you?
Choice. I think that’s probably what it brings you, really.
You’re turning 30 next year. How do you approach ageing?
Oh I’m excited, I can’t wait to turn 30. I feel so grown up! One of the things I see with women who are older than me is how confident they are within their skin, how they’ve grown and how they have so much experience in life. And I think that becomes truly beautiful. As you get older, you learn what works for you and what doesn’t work. You cut the bullsh*t out. You really focus on what makes you happy. You’re more strategic with your time. Also, I think as life unfolds, things happen and you grow from them. They’re not always positive things, but you grow from them. So I’m looking forward to having an older soul. But yeah, who looks forward to their boobs sagging and bum going flat?! No one! [Laughs] I hope by that point there will be other things that really matter. My mum said to me, “It’s no fun getting old, Rosie.” But it’s life and it’s going to happen to everybody. That’s the thing you have to hold on to. And to be honest with you, it’s a real privilege to grow old, considering so many people don’t get to.
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Originally published as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Can I get old without a saggy bum?
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