Marie at 63, still the queen of the catwalk
NEARLY half a century has passed since she first graced a catwalk, but veteran model Marie Helvin appears to have barely aged a day.
The former Vogue model showed off her timeless looks yesterday in a fashion show dedicated to celebrating stylish women over the age of 50.
And to mark her return to the catwalk, the 63-year-old recreated one of her all-time favourite shots exclusively for the Daily Mail – a picture taken by photographer Nick Clements to promote her bodywear line back in 1986.
Despite being taken 30 years after the original black-and-white image, her latest shoot shows how similar Miss Helvin looks compared to the picture taken in her modelling heyday. But regardless of her enviably wrinkle-free face and trim figure, the experienced model said the fashion industry’s obsession with youth is something she has seen reflected in her own career.
‘Certainly in my case, because I earn my living from this, I can see from working every single week, the jobs are getting less and less. And that’s even for someone like me, who maintains a certain look with my body shape,’ she said.
While Miss Helvin welcomed the industry’s move towards using ‘healthier’ models of size 12 or 14, she added: ‘When you are young and beautiful it doesn’t matter much what your size is. When you are older it’s much more difficult.’
Talking about the catwalk show featuring more mature models – which was hosted by clothing brand JD Williams in conjunction with the London College of Fashion – she said: ‘I understand why a lot of women my age feel sidelined. I’d like to see more on the high street aimed at my age group.’
Miss Helvin revealed that to maintain her looks, she no longer drinks, follows a pescatarian diet, zaps her face with electricity, exercises on a rowing machine and lifts weights. However she admitted she would look better in a bikini if she was ‘five pounds heavier’.