BROOKE SHIELDS
MODEL, ACTRESS, AUTHOR AND NOW CLOTHING DESIGNER, THE STAR OPENS UP ABOUT WHY SHE LIKES TO SAY ‘YES!’
The model mom and actress opens up about exploring new territory by designing her clothing line.
“If one window closes, run to the next window!”
— Brooke
For Brooke Shields, the busier her life is, the better. Since January, the actressmodel has appeared in three TV series, and on March 14 she revealed her latest production: a clothing line for QVC called Timeless. “I’d be bored if I didn’t have so many varied creative outlets,” Brooke tells Closer. “I’ve never done anything else — it’s who I am.”
There’s no question that Brooke, 52, is a pro at juggling the demands of work and family. She’s acting in shows like Law & Order: SVU; modeling — she recently appeared in a Calvin Klein ad, 37 years after her famous “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins” jeans spot; and running her new clothing business. At home, she’s married and a fulltime mom to two daughters, Rowan, 14, and Grier, 11. While some may wonder how she manages to do it all, Brooke says she feels energized, not overwhelmed: “There’s always room to grow and learn. Plus [Timeless] uses a different part of my brain.”
Balancing her hectic schedule is what Brooke’s early experiences taught her to do. “She’s been, as she says, ‘in training’ all her life,” an insider tells Closer. “She was attending school as she was acting and modeling during childhood.” And as she’s gotten older, “She wants to stay relevant,” the insider adds, inspired in part by friends like Reese Witherspoon, who started her own clothing line, Draper James, in 2015. “Brooke is nothing if not showbiz savvy.”
DESIGNING WOMAN
Shuttling as a child between her divorced parents — stage mom Teri, who pushed her into modeling and movies, and business exec dad, Frank — taught her how to adapt. “I found I could put on different hats and thrive,” Brooke says. She’s even turned the downside of her entertainment career — when she says she had “the feeling that everybody wanted to take a piece” of her — to her advantage. She wants to keep giving, but on her terms.
“Brooke is happiest when she is creative and busy,” the insider says. But she’s doing things differently at home, and in her business, than her mother did. “She felt that her mother didn’t listen to her needs enough,” the insider explains, “Brooke was intent not to make the same mistake with her daughters.” That’s why, with her clothing line, she likes to “consult” with her kids. “Clearly I don’t use enough sparkles, pink or unicorns!” she jokes. But her modestly priced and accessible clothing reflects her desire to keep things simple, even as she continues to be so busy.
Her grounded home life is key to keeping herself balanced. And life with her husband of 17 years, producer Chris Henchy, 54, works because “we communicate really well and try our best to stay on the same page,” Brooke says. And when it comes to parenting their girls, she adds, “We always manage to form a united front.”
Her valuable time at home provides an anchor that moors her and includes much less hectic activities. “In the winter, [we cook] big family meals with a cozy fire,” she shares. “In the summer, we’re happiest out on the water.” Sounds like smooth sailing ahead.