Supermodel Cindy Crawford may be classically beautiful but please, don't call her "ageless."
In a recent interview with Haute Living, Crawford said that being called ageless is a reminder that she is, in fact, not.
"Being told I’m ageless isn’t right, especially because getting older is hard enough, never mind that we live in a youth-obsessed culture," she said. "I'm not 25, so why should I be trying to look 25? Why do I want someone to mistake me for a 25-year-old? I’ve had children. I have all this life experience.”
She added that in the early days of her skincare line, Meaningful Beauty, the commercials used to show her photo side-by-side with a voiceover saying "She hasn't aged."
"And I’d tell them to stop, because it puts too much pressure on me," she said. " I know all the ways that I’ve aged. My face has gotten much thinner; my mouth isn’t as full."
She also discussed how, when she originally started modeling, wondered what she would do after turning 25. However, Crawford has had staying power in the industry, continuing to model and book campaigns at the age of 56.
"There was no way I thought I would still be quote unquote ‘modeling’ to this day. And even though I’m not in front of the camera nearly as much as I used to be — nor do I want to be — any time I get my picture taken, even if it’s just on an iPhone, I’m striking a pose," she said. "You can’t unlearn that."
She added that as time has gone one, her business has "evolved" too — she has her Cindy Crawford Home collection, several books and an upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries called "The Supermodels," which will feature Crawford and her fellow icons in fashion: Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington.
She told the outlet she believes that her audience is still a fan because she is "authentic" — and that's part of the reason she keeps modeling in her 50s.
"There’s one comparison I use a lot, and it’s this: I’m like an aging athlete. I know the game so much better, but I don’t have a 20-year-old neck or whatever. Sometimes I think, 'Screw it. Maybe I don’t want to model anymore.' But then I think, 'Gosh, then I’m just further telling women that at a certain age, we’re just expired, and we should go on the shelf. Do I want to play into that for women? And so I don’t."
She added that even though sometimes she doesn't "feel as confident" in photos, she's still grateful to be here.
"That’s real. Aging is what happens if we’re lucky; it means that I’m alive."
