Magnificent Marie’s back... at age of 71!
14 months after her mastectomy, Helvin models racy lingerie
WITH a figure many women half her age would be delighted to have, at 71 Marie Helvin still looks magnificent.
But it’s just 14 months since the former supermodel had a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
She is now fronting her first campaign since having her right breast reconstructed – modelling Valentine’s lingerie for the British brand Bluebella.
Ms Helvin – who has been on the cover of Vogue 12 times – said: ‘I’m not ready to retire yet. Who says a woman can’t model lingerie in her 70s?
‘It’s taken a while to be strong enough emotionally and physically to do a full day’s shoot,’ she said.
‘My breasts were perfect. Losing that was not just physical, it was a mental and emotional removal. The recovery took quite some time.’
She added: ‘But it’s a beautiful breast, and my surgeon did an incredible job. It’s given me such a confidence boost to get back to modelling.’
Ms Helvin, who was married to photographer David Bailey for 10 years, criticised the fashion industry for discriminating against older women.
‘It makes me so angry that women are ignored and become invisible after the age of 60. Brands are fixated on women in the 20s and 30s, and ignore women past that age,’ she said.
‘This has got to stop. A lot of women my age are stuck in a rut because society makes you feel that way. I hope by doing a campaign like this it will make women feel a bit freer.’
She advised women to ‘take back your individuality, take back your power as a woman and explore all that entails. That includes treating yourself to beautiful things like lingerie, it means treating yourself to good sex, to good food, to a good life, to kindness, to all those wonderful things.
‘I hope by doing a campaign like this, it will make women feel a bit freer and make them think, if she can do it, I can do it,’ she said.
‘And I’ve loved it. It’s been wonderful to wear beautiful lingerie that feels good, that makes me feel good and I know that looks good to others.’
Ms Helvin told the Daily Mail in 2022 that she had had the mastectomy, saying: ‘I had a vision, an idea of myself, I suppose, of how fit and healthy I was. As a model, my body was my instrument and I have always looked after it.’
‘Women are ignored’