Jodie Kidd is a former supermodel who is returning to modelling after seven years away focusing on other pursuits like motor racing and polo. At age 34, she is relaunching her modelling career with her first fashion shoot in years, hoping to work as an older model in an industry that now embraces more mature women. Though she no longer has the same "bag of bones" figure, she is excited to model with a different perspective as a mother. Kidd also discusses her past experiences with the ups and downs of the modelling industry and rejection.

1. The
comeback
Kidd
THETIMEOUT
INTERVIEW
Jodie
Kidd
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2. Professional motor racing,
international polo playing…
Jodie Kidd has a lot of
talents. So why return to
modelling, the career she
happily turned her back on
ages ago? Katie Dailey brings
her out of retirement for her
first fashion shoot in seven
years. Photography Mark Cant
J
odie Kidd has just tossed me the keys to her
car, which needs to be moved. I am to drive
the car of a woman who gave up modelling to
compete at Silverstone. Who boasted that
she drove her baby around in a Maserati.
Whose home once featured a garage full of Ferraris.
It’s not likely to be a vehicle I’d want to scratch.
So when I press the button on her key remote, it’s
as surprising as it is consoling to hear an answering
chirrup from a sensible and rather mucky Volkswagen
Touareg. Which makes me possibly the only person
in history to be more grateful for the chance to drive
a dirty old 4x4 than some badass sports car.
‘I’m a mummy now,’ Kidd explains, without a trace of
regret, when I return. ‘I got rid of all the Ferraris: gone.
I just stopped driving them. I need something boring,
with room for prams and babies.’
As we chat, she’s expertly spidering her famously
long limbs in and out of garments from some of
London’s best designers, on what is her first fashion
shoot in seven years – one she hopes will relaunch
her modelling career. In the ’90s, she reached the
pinnacle of her profession – opening catwalk shows
for John Galliano and heading up Chanel campaigns.
As a six-foot-two, self-described ‘bag of bones’, she
also became the public face of eating disorders,
despite the fact that she didn’t actually have one.
Now aged 34, having swapped stilettos for steering
wheels and poses for polo mallets, she’s come full
circle and is returning to the fashion industry. Which
begs the question, why not stick to the sports?
You’ve often joked about being too old for the
catwalk, too unsteady for heels. But you’re now
relaunching as a fashion model. What lured you
back to the frocks after so long?
‘Well, even though I walked away from it, I was still
surrounded by it. I’ve always loved seeing it all in
magazines, and my sister Jemma is a big make-up
artist, so it was still part of my world. But I saw a big
resurgence of my friends – Erin [O’Connor], Karen
Elson, Guinevere [Van Seenus] – in magazines. There
seemed to be this huge revival, with the public falling
in love with them again, and they all look so bloody
amazing! It was so refreshing, as a consumer, to be
looking at a beautiful woman for once, rather than
a teenager. When I was modelling, I was a skinny
little 16-year-old girl, supposedly selling clothes to
40-year-old women. I love seeing these women –
not girls – modelling fashion.’
And it made you wistful for that life again?
‘I just thought I’d love to do it again – do some
amazing pictures with a different head on my
shoulders. With an older head, actually.’
Do you think, second time around, the industry
has changed?
‘Yes, in a positive way. If proper, grown women
are being shot, something good is happening.’
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What about motor racing, your great love?
‘I had a really big crash at Silverstone. It slowed me
up. When you’re racing cars you’re constantly at the
edge, pushing the limits. And you have to push the
envelope the whole time. After I went beyond the
envelope and had a big crash, subconsciously my
brain was lifting off the accelerator, and I was braking
too quickly. It would have taken a long time and a lot
of dedication to get back to how I was.’
Was it hard to give it up?
‘I didn’t give it up; I moved on. By that point
I wanted to do something else. I wanted to do
polo. I’d raced for Maserati for four years and
I thought: I’ve ticked that box.’
So you ticked the polo box too?
‘Yep: I wanted to play for England,
so I played for England. And then
of course I had a beautiful baby.’
A more typical retired model
trajectory is to design
lingerie and marry someone
from a crap rock band. You’re
obviously very different from
other fashion models: what did
you find to talk to them about?
‘I didn’t have a huge amount to say to
them, to be honest. I made a few friends –
Carolyn Murphy, Erin. When I went off to do my
crazy things they were like, “Okaaay…” I just lived
with them during the shows, and it’s lovely having
those bonds – but there wasn’t really anyone like me.’
You must have had some real fashion moments?
Any champagne baths with Johnny Depp?
‘There have been a few times when I’ve been sat
with all the Stones having a drink ready to go out
and thought: I’m sorry, where am I? I need to take
a memory snap of this one! It happens, but when
you’re in it you do get used to it.’
Socialising is almost part of the job in fashion.
Are you up for all that again?
‘Hell, yes! The baby can feed himself!’
What excites you about the industry now?
‘I love the new generation of designers, because
I was part of an amazing new generation myself.
When I was becoming big it was at the same time
as Alexander McQueen, the incredible Julien
Macdonalds and Matthew Williamsons. I walked
at Lee’s [McQueen’s] first show at Fashion Week,
“The Birds”. My agency called and said I had to
do the first show of this genius new guy.
It was before his “Highland Rape”
collection [the controversial 1995
catwalk show that made McQueen’s
name]. At the fittings I was just like,
“Jesus!”. It was great to meet this mad,
crazy person, and my God, those outfits!
I opened his first show for Givenchy,
I did the same for John [Galliano].
It was an amazing time for Britain and
I was part of it. So now I always look out
for new designers.’
You’re obviously tremendously
competitive. Is there a way of
‘winning’ at modelling?
‘Fashionwasalwayssomething
Ihadtolearn.Iwouldturnupandput110percentin,
andbeontimewithcleanhairandafullnight’ssleep.
Butitwouldn’tnecessarilymakeanydifferenceatall,
andyoucouldeasilyloseouttosomeonewho’djust
comeinstinkingofbooze.Ihadtolearnthatyoucan’t
doa“goodjob”.Withanimals,whatyouputiniswhat
yougetout.Asacompetitor–showjumpingandracing
cars–Ihavethecontrol.Withmodelling,youjusthad
tositthere.Itwasn’tpossibletohaveambitions.’
As a young teen, did you find that rejection
hard to take?
‘You get let down so many times. But you have to
know it’s not personal rejection. Your hair’s just a
bit too blonde or something.’
A lot of the media coverage was incredibly
personal, though. (Lorraine Kelly called
her a ‘sick, anorexic giraffe’.)
‘I was really protected by my agent.
I honestly didn’t see much of it until
afterwards, thank God. It would have
really harmed me and
I wouldn’t have wanted
to carry on.’
If you could swap your
34-year-old body for the
one that opened those
catwalk shows, would you?
‘No, God no. I don’t aspire to
skinniness. I’m a mummy. I’ve
got saggy tits [for the record, as
eyewitnesses we can report that
this isn’t true], but then I breastfed
for nine months. I’m not yearning for that
time or that body.’
What do you think when you look back on the
pictures themselves?
‘I can see I was terribly skinny. But it was never what
they said it was. I had anxiety attacks constantly;
I never wanted to eat. It was a ton of different things
– but there are pictures that aren’t even real. The
one that follows me everywhere is a shot of a Dolce
& Gabbana catwalk show that has been doctored
beyond belief. I don’t even look human. That wasn’t
really me at all. But that’s the British media…’
I heard another great rumour about you: you were up
for a role with Tom Cruise in ‘Mission Impossible II’,
but were rejected for obvious reasons…
‘It’s absolutely fucking rubbish! They said I didn’t get
it because Tom Cruise is too short! It’s just utter
bollocks: made-up crap. I’ve never done any acting in
my life! Haven’t the slightest interest in it…’
But you have done TV – smashing the
‘Top Gear’ celebrity lap record.
‘IwouldLOVEtogobackon“TopGear”!’
You need to – your record has been
beaten. By Jay Kay!
‘That’s because they changed the car!
I was on top for two years.’
You’re still faster than Jeremy Clarkson.
‘Ha! That’s not difficult. He’s as slow as they come.
Icanbeatalotofpeople,butIcandefinitelybeathim.’
Previouspage:silkdressbyWhistles,£175,
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PeterPilotto,£1,840,www.net-a-porter.com;
shoesbyKGKurtGeiger,£140,www.kurtgeiger.com;
ringsbyKatieRowland,£160and£450,www.katie-
rowland.com.Stylist:JuliaBrenard.Hair:Craig
MarsdenatCarolHayesManagement.Make-up:
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ShoreditchHighSt,E16JQ.www.acehotel.com.
I’ma
mummy.
I’vegot
saggytits.
I’mnot
yearningfor
thattimeor
thatbody…
See the
rest of our
exclusive shoot at
www.timeout.com/
jodie
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