As one of the original Eighties supermodels, Stephanie Seymour was never going to fade into obscurity. And the 45 year old has just landed a new gig as the face of Estée Lauder, much to her delight.
“It was my Christmas present”, she said about securing the role in December. “The first thing I did was call my mother.” Apparently Seymour Senior, a long-time Estée Lauder devotee, had told her daughter that one day she’d model for the prestigious beauty brand.
“[My mother] laughed and said, ‘How cute – I can’t believe you remember that!’” Stephanie explained. “But it always stuck with me. Whenever I heard they were looking for models, I would always cross my fingers and hope. For a model to work with Estée Lauder is the pinnacle of things.”
Stephanie joins the likes of Elizabeth Hurley, Hilary Rhoda and Gwyneth Paltrow who have all fronted Estée Lauder campaigns. It’s the ex-Victoria’s Secret Angel’s first role as a beauty spokesperson, having spent much of the Eighties and Nineties flaunting her curves on the covers of countless magazines including Playboy and Sports Illustrated.
Although the images are being kept under wraps for now, we do know that Stephanie was photographed by Mario Sorrenti, amid New York’s ferocious winter weather this week. The campaign is expected to launch later this year.
Jane Hertzmark Hudis, global brand president of Estée Lauder, explained why they’ve chosen to add the supermodel to their roster of iconic faces: “Stephanie represents modern women today in such a beautifully articulated way and she represents modern beauty and luxury to us. This campaign will speak to the beautiful complexity that makes her who she is”.
Busy Seymour is also planning to launch her own lingerie line, which she is designing with a friend. “I’m enjoying being on the other side of the business — actually designing. It’s great to be able to put what I’ve learned about clothing and fit together in this line. I feel like I know what women want and need.” Given the amount of time she’s spent modelling in her undies, we don’t doubt that at all.
See Stephanie’s greatest modelling moments (and enjoy some Eighties flashbacks) in the gallery below…
By Sarah Royce-Greensill