Carmen Dell’Orefice

Elegance Has No Age

At 86 years young, our cover model, Carmen Dell’Orefice, is the world’s most enduring supermodel, both in her career and personal life. She epitomizes elegance and class through her timeless style and her words.
In interviews, she speaks of her life as if it is a piece of art; a work in progress, with many flaws, but beautiful nonetheless. She has experienced struggles growing up and has had to start over more than once in her life and she has done it all with a positive mind and calm heart. She is an inspiration.
“People shouldn’t look at me and think life is one big piece of glamour,” she says, “That’s the spin. Life is challenging, but I have courage, strength, and enough good health to see the positive.”

“We are all works of art in progress.”

– Carmen Dell’Orefice

Born in New York City, she was discovered at thirteen years old while on the bus, and a year later, she sat for Salvador Dali. He gave her a painting along with about $8 she had earned for modelling for him.

At fifteen years old, she was on her first Vogue cover, an impressive accomplishment for a young girl, although she did not fully understand it at the time. Her childhood was far from glamorous and she actually began modelling to help support her struggling parents. She was very close with her mother who taught her how to sew and cook. As her career took off, she travelled the world and learned the language of fashion and being her own person.

By Francesca Muia