32 AMBER’S WORLD
ALONG WITH NAOMI AND CINDY, AMBER VALLETTA WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL 1990s SUPERMODELS AND HAS GRACED RUNWAYS, MAGAZINE COVERS AND FILM SCREENS EVER SINCE. KIM PARKER CATCHES UP WITH HER TO TALK CAREERS, PASSIONS AND FAMILY
Amber Valletta shares her passions
WE DIDN’T REALISE IT THEN, BUT THE 1990s WERE FABULOUS. I started modelling when I was 15, so I was too young to appreciate it at the time but, looking back, there were some incredible moments. I have amazing memories of walking in Tom Ford’s first Gucci show [in 1994], doing some of my first Gianni Versace shows – I remember wearing that famous J.LO dress for the ad campaign later on – and working with greats like Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh and Steven Meisel. I still find it such an interesting and inspiring industry. I’M STILL IN TOUCH WITH THE OTHER SUPERS, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL LEAD DIFFERENT LIVES.
I see Naomi a few times a year. She’s an actress, too, so our paths cross over in both industries, at dinners with friends or at work events. I’m still friends with Kate, and see her whenever I visit London. I don’t get to see Christy or Linda as much, everyone’s got such full lives now, but we do occasionally get to hang out on photoshoots. Wonderful opportunities come along occasionally – like Dries Van Noten’s 100th catwalk show, where he had all the big 1990s models and I got to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in years. And, like it or loathe it, there’s always social media for keeping in touch. FASHION CAN BE A HUGE AGENT FOR CHANGE, WHICH IS WHY I HAVEN’T
GIVEN UP ON IT. I’ve always been environmentally aware. I get it from my mum, who was an activist, and from spending a lot of my childhood on my grandparents’ farm in Oklahoma. The textile industry has traditionally been one of the biggest polluters, but nowadays innovation, commerce and creativity can come together to help solve some major problems. It’s not enough for clothes to simply be sustainable; we have to think about the whole production process, including labour standards and business behaviour. I’m proud to be friends with women who are leading the charge, like Livia Firth and Stella Mccartney, the people behind ethical brands like Reformation and Everlane, or platforms like Zady and Maison de Mode, which champion eco-conscious labels. We use each other as resources and share information and I love that. I LOOK AFTER MYSELF MORE NOW THAN I EVER DID IN MY TWENTIES. I like to mix things up – yoga, weights and dance classes. I also swear by eating healthy fats – I like recipes by The Barefoot
Contessa [Ina Garten], or Rens Kroes, the sister of supermodel Doutzen. I don’t wear make-up when I’m not working, I think it’s helped keep my skin clear, and I look for skincare that’s a little more “active” now
I’m older. Meditation has also changed my life. From top: modelling for Versace in 2000 in the dress J.LO wore; with son Auden on the Mercedesbenz shoot; walking for Gucci in 1995; with Linda Evangelista; striking a pose with Auden; Amber with Auden as a baby in 2002 WILL MY SON FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS? PROBABLY NOT, AND THAT’S FINE.
Auden [her son from her marriage to Olympic volleyball player Chip Mccaw] models with me, like on this project for MercedesBenz’s new electric car, or on his own if it’s a job he really wants to do, but he’s not modelling full-time. I’m not in the same boat as Cindy, having to travel across the planet to take care of my kids’ modelling careers! The next year-and-a-half is all about getting Auden to college, so I won’t be doing much TV or movie work. I have a small production company and we’re working on a short film to educate and inform consumers about sustainability in fashion, I’ve got a few modelling projects in the works and, even though it’s on pause for now, I’m looking to change up my website, masterandmuse.com, with a new business model. I probably won’t have the bandwidth for more.’