In a world where early retirement often seems like the ultimate goal, there are those rare individuals who defy this norm by continuing to work passionately well into their later years. One such remarkable individual is Carmen Dell’Orefice, 93, celebrated as the world’s oldest working model. Let’s dive into her extraordinary journey and the lessons we can learn from her enduring career.
From humbling beginning to Vogue fame.
Carmen Dell’Orefice’s story began when she was discovered at the tender age of 13, in 1944. It’s hard to believe that such a fashion icon could come from such humble beginnings. Growing up, her family faced significant financial struggles. Modeling was just a glimmer of hope in a rather challenging upbringing.
Her first attempt at fashion was far from glamorous. In fact, it was an epic flop. But, as they say, the road to success is often paved with failures.
Just two years after her initial setback, Carmen graced the cover of Vogue at the age of 15. This was a monumental moment, marking the beginning of a legendary career in the fashion industry.
In 2023, Carmen was featured on the cover of Vogue Czechoslovakia, making her the oldest working model in the world. Her timeless beauty and elegance continue to captivate audiences globally.
She faced life’s hurdles, from financial struggles to failed marriages.
Carmen’s early life was fraught with financial difficulties. Her modeling work barely supported her family, so she and her mother also worked as seamstresses to make ends meet. This challenging period taught her resilience and perseverance.
1Her marriage to Bill Miles in the early 1950s added another layer of hardship. Miles exploited her career, collecting her modeling agency checks and giving her a mere $50 from her earnings. Yet, Carmen remained steadfast and continued to rise above these challenges.
Carmen then chose to marry photographer Richard Heimann. However, their marriage was also short-lived. When Carmen stepped away from the modeling industry in 1958, Richard left her.
Facing financial difficulties, Carmen Dell’Orefice made a bold comeback to modeling in 1978. Within just a few years, she was back on the covers of top fashion magazines, showcasing her timeless elegance. Ever since, she has been tirelessly working, featuring in numerous magazines, spearheading advertising campaigns, and strutting down catwalks for prestigious fashion brands.
She shared her secret to timeless beauty and longevity.
One of Carmen’s profound insights into maintaining beauty and longevity is the importance of self-care and self-love. She once said, “Men and women should care for themselves and love themselves. One of the secrets to maintaining beauty is doing what you do for a baby, nurturing and feeding the baby with love. That’s what we should do with ourselves: nurture ourselves, love ourselves, and give that kind of energy to ourselves.”
Carmen embraces aging with grace and dignity. She has never shied away from her age. Instead, she has used it to her advantage, proving that beauty truly knows no age.
Carmen’s unwavering passion for modeling teaches us that retirement is not an obligation but a choice. If you love what you do, there’s no reason to stop, no matter how old you are. Her life is a testament to resilience. Despite numerous challenges, she has continued to thrive, proving that with determination, one can overcome any obstacle.
Another inspiring supermodel is Daphne Selfe, 96, who still makes waves in the fashion industry and hasn’t given any sign of stopping yet. Read her story here.
Little girl was abandoned by dad who said she was ‘dead’ to him – now she’s a famous actress
At the pinnacle of their careers, renowned musician and legendary actress Goldie Hawn met in 1975.
On a first-class flight from New York to Los Angeles, the two happened to cross paths, and they clicked right away.
The musician was already well-known in the music industry, having shared stages with The Beach Boys, The Osmonds, and The Monkees. He was a member of The Hudson Brothers. Apart from his musical career, he had appearances in TV series and movies, including the cult favorite Hysterical.
The musician recalled their first meeting and said there was instant electricity. The allure was immediate. That evening, I asked her to supper, and that was it,” he revealed. Their physical bond was a major factor in their relationship’s rapid growth.
The level of intimacy was astounding. The [intimacy] was always fantastic, even when everything else in the relationship went south,” he continued, as reported by the Daily Mail. Even while their relationship was not without its ups and downs, there were times when it felt like they were moving forward.
In 1976, while Goldie was expecting their first child, a son, the couple were married. But there were some difficulties during the delivery of their baby. He was diagnosed with meconium aspiration, a potentially fatal illness where a baby inhales meconium-contaminated amniotic fluid, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 20: BOTTOMLINE Photo of Bill HUDSON, w/ Goldie Hawn (Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
The couple was greatly concerned when the newborn was placed in isolation for three days following delivery. “Goldie and I were ecstatic,” the performer recalled. “She was really sick, and I’d go from her bedside to the neonatal intensive care unit,” he added in his explanation. It was the physicians’ opinion that [son’s name] would not survive. However, he survived, and from that point on, he became our priceless miracle.
The couple welcomed a girl as their second child in 1979, three years after the first. The foursome shared a number of wonderful years together before the musician’s discovery that Goldie had been unfaithful in 1981 brought an untimely end to their marriage. The musician’s longing for a conventional marriage ran counter to Goldie’s beliefs of commitment.
He told the Daily Mail, “Goldie was having affairs, and pretty much on our wedding night, she told me that she wanted an open marriage, that she couldn’t imagine being faithful to one man for the rest of her life.” “I desired a conventional union, but Goldie was unsatisfactory. I eventually relocated.
In 1983, following their breakup, Goldie started dating actor Kurt Russell. They had first connected on set of Swing Shift, but their love life didn’t take off until they reunited after meeting again while filming The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1968. Three years into their relationship, in 1986, Wyatt Russell, their son, was born.
Bringing their families together turned out to be a big adjustment. “For me, it felt like such a big moment because it was like, ‘My mom is madly in love with this guy,’” Goldie’s daughter recounted. “And I was meeting his son [Boston], so I thought, ‘Does this mean that this is my brother?’” she continued. For someone so young, it was a lot to handle.
Following their parents’ divorce, Goldie’s children from her first marriage experienced sentiments of abandonment. Her son told her about the way their biological father gradually cut himself off from them. In response to a contentious Father’s Day post honoring Kurt, he stated, “It really doesn’t matter which one of these men is my father.” I became the man I am now when my father intervened when I was six years old.
Kurt assuming the position of father figure is a memory that both siblings cherish. Even though they still don’t get along with their real father Bill, they frequently thank Kurt for his commitment.
Bill, meanwhile, has publicly expressed his sense of betrayal and charged Goldie with “poisoning” their kids against him. According to Hello!, despite their tension, Kate and Oliver are committed to moving past their past and keeping a good attitude on the future.
Oliver made the public knowledge of their tense relationship in 2015 when he shared a contentious Father’s Day message on social media. He posted a photo of Kate, Bill, and himself from the past with the message, “Happy abandonment day… @katehudson.”
“Oliver could have picked up the phone and called me, but he hasn’t,” said Bill, who was incensed by the post, in an interview. He obviously planned this out; he released the image on Father’s Day, knowing full well that it would hurt the most people.
Bill continued by asserting that Oliver had been successful in his attempt to remove him from their life. Tension increased when Kate wrote her own homage to Kurt, following Oliver’s example and only serving to exacerbate the fallout.
During her appearance on Howard Stern’s show, Kate talked about how Kurt was the father that was there for her through the trying and trying times. “I would ask them to stop using the Hudson name [because] they are no longer a part of my life,” Bill responded, as reported by the Daily Mail.
He went on to say, “I now consider Oliver and Kate to be dead; their Instagram post was a wicked, brutal, and deliberate attack. Even though they are still alive, I am grieving for their loss. After that, Bill made the decision, per the Daily Mail article, to get rid of all of Kate and Oliver’s childhood items from his house.
Kurt has accepted his duty as a grandfather to Kate and Oliver’s children despite the distance between him and his older children.
Kate and Oliver have moved on and chosen to concentrate on the relationships they have developed with their stepfather, Kurt, but Bill still harbors animosity.
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