London - Strutting down the catwalk, they dazzle in the latest fashions – but accessorise them with a frosty glare.
Now models have been told to stop looking so miserable – by the oldest women in the business. Daphne Selfe says the current crop of youngsters are ‘sullen’ and need to cheer up. The 87-year-old, who started modelling in the 1950s, said she enjoyed the experience of posing on the runway.
But she lamented that the same pleasure is not reflected on the faces of today’s stars – who include the likes of Cara Delevingne, 23.
Selfe said: ‘” like prancing on the catwalk. They all look so sullen now, don’t you think? Why it is they all look so miserable? I always enjoy it. I don’t think you should grin at the audience but I do think you should look pleasant.”
Selfe, who has posed for fashion house Dolce & Gabbana and beauty brands Nivea and Olay and also appeared in Vogue, says today’s models need the same training she had.
During her era, newcomers had three weeks’ coaching including “general deportment” and how to get into a sports car “without showing their knickers”.
Asked if similar training would benefit supermodels now, she told the Cheltenham Literature Festival: “Yes, I think it would. It would give the models more confidence, especially when they are young.”
Selfe also said fashion magazines were geared towards a younger generation, adding: “The population is getting older. Why isn’t there more clothing for those people?” And of red carpet outfits worn by celebrities she said: “They don’t make people look terribly attractive.”
Daily Mail