DEFYING AGE AND RULES, GEORGINA’S BACK!

The fashion industry has fallen in love again with Georgina Grenville – South Africa’s most successful model export

IT SHOULD have been a major sign to fashion and pop culture lovers when Naomi, Claudia, Cindy, Helena and

Carla appeared at the end of the Versace show in September 2017 that the world was going back to the glory days of the ’90s. Even though Naomi, Kate and Eva Herzigova have consistently worked, there was still a hunger for the supermodel era.

It’s therefore no surprise that the biggest names of the ’90s are suddenly back in demand, and that includes the Durban born Georgina Grenville. Since her return to the fashion industry in 2017, she has reminded the industry why she was one of the top models in the ’90s until the early ’00s.

Georgina, now 43, and married with three children and lives in Paris, won a model competition at 14. “It was the

Rooi Rose Look of the Year, a televised modelling competition in South Africa. The prize was a modelling contract with an agency in Milan.” That was in 1990. Charlize Theron won the same competition in 1991.

Georgina moved to Milan, and while she was working, didn’t get her break until 1994, walking the Chanel show. It was the start of big things to come.

In 1995, she became Tom Ford’s muse during his time at Gucci. Her campaigns for Gucci are still some of the most iconic the brand has ever had and has cemented Georgina and Ford’s place in Gucci fashion’s hall of fame as the best eras, ever.

“The image that Tom wanted to create, which I hope he did, was a strong, sexy, independent woman who was living life for herself. In some ways, he was ahead of the game because maybe not all of the designers were thinking like that, of a sophisticated, strong, independent woman as opposed to a woman who was dressing for men,” she told Vogue about her time as the Gucci girl.

She was, as models.com describes her,

“at the forefront of the ultra-glam rebirth of fashion in the mid-to-late ’90s. The icy blonde South African – known for her flawless body and high society sexiness – didn’t have a moment, she had a decade.”

She ruled the fashion scene, grabbing campaigns and walking for fashion’s top brands and in the process had three covers on America Vogue, all shot by Steven Meisel.

She took a step back from the industry in 2001, returned to South Africa for three years, before returning to Europe, closed Ford’s final Gucci fashion show, got married and had children.

Since her comeback, she has booked campaigns for major brands and walked a number of shows during fashion weeks.

Her comeback is no fluke as she’s currently the face of Mango, Salvatore Ferragamo, H&M, Esprit, and Petor Petrov. This comes after booking campaigns for The

Row, Tiffany & Co., Selfridges and Attico. It makes sense because brands are choosing to use older models because they appeal to the demographic they want – older, moneyed individuals.

She’s clearly revelling in her second act, even though she’s older than the models she currently features within the same ad campaigns and runways.

“I was on a shoot two weeks ago where I was the oldest by 10 years — even older than the client! It’s such a weird feeling because in one way you feel kind of proud and in another way, every now and again, I find myself trying to be cool with the kids, but like I say to my friends, this is a great way to do the business, as a mom and a model.

“The mom stuff can get tough on its own, just as the modelling stuff can, but mixed together, it makes both kind of fun, because you get to see the positives all the time in everything.”