Christie Brinkley, 67, talks ageism in the modeling industry after becoming famous in the 1970s as she insists she is still ‘too young NOT to be working’
Christie Brinkley thinks ‘ageing is the last frontier’ for the modeling industry.
The 67-year-old model thinks the business has evolved markedly over recent decades, but she still thinks ageism remains a problem.
‘Women tell me that they want to see themselves in there. They want to be stylish but they don’t want to look like they’re trying too hard. They want to be represented,’ noted the cover girl.
Still gorgeous: Christie Brinkley, seen this year looking incredible at 67, talked ageism with The Times this week
Hot stuff in the 1970s: Here the curvy blonde was seen on the cover of Cosmopolitan in 1977
‘I’ve been in this industry for 47 years now and I can’t begin to tell you how much it has evolved, but ageing is the last frontier.’
Despite ongoing issues, Christie remains in love with her job and is desperate to keep working.
She told The Times newspaper: ‘I’m too young not to be working. I love my job.’
Christie was once told that her career would be over by the time she was 30.
But she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine at the age of 63 alongside her daughters – Sailor, 22, and Alexa, 35.
You glow girl: The star is now a spokesperson for SBLA BEAUTY Beauty, Cosmetic & Personal Care
Beach bunny: And she often poses in swimwear when on the beach near her home in the Caribbean; seen in a Fendi suit
The shoot was arranged at short notice, meaning she didn’t have time to diet ahead of appearing with her daughters.
Speaking about her approach to the shoot, she explained: ‘I thought, “Well, it’s all about body positivity today, so que sera, sera.” And with those two beauties, who’s looking at the old broad in the middle, right?’
Christie underwent hip replacement surgery last year, after she was injured in a helicopter crash in Colorado in 1994.
The model took to Instagram to share a series of snaps of a snorkeling trip, one of which showed a large band aid covering her hip area.
The IT girl: Brinkley smiles and wears a bikini swimsuit in a still from ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation,’ directed by Harold Ramis, 1983, seen left. And on the right she was on the cover of a magazine that same year
She captioned the post: ‘New Year, New Hip! Yes that’s a band aid on my hip.
‘I injured my hip in a back country skiing helicopter crash on a mountaintop in Telluride many years ago. The pain in my hip got a little bit worse each year. 12 years ago I was told it needed to be replaced but the surgery was daunting ! And I had things to do!’
Brinkley came to fame in the late 1970s with the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues.
Her mini me: Her daughter Sailor Lee Brinkley-Cook, 22, also has become a bikini model
She was on an unprecedented three consecutive covers starting in 1979.
Her fame only grew when she costarred with Chevy Chase in Vacation and also appeared in Billy Joel’s music video for Uptown Girl, eventually marrying the crooner and welcoming their daughter Alexa Ray.
She also has 25-year-old son Jack Paris Brinkley Cook with Richard Taubman and 22-year-old daughter Sailor Lee Brinkley-Cook with ex-husband Peter Cook.
The star is now a spokesperson for SBLA BEAUTY Beauty, Cosmetic & Personal Care.