Side profile portrait of an elderly woman wearing a statement earring
graphic banner in red, white and blue reading Charlie Newman's model of the month
Side profile portrait of an elderly woman wearing a statement earring

Daphne Selfe is the world’s oldest professional model. Instagram @daphneselfe

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

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Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: It comes as no surprise that the world’s oldest professional model, Daphne Selfe, who turns 91 next month, ‘doesn’t do retiring’. The British model has clocked up over 70 years of experience, working for the likes of Olay, Eyeko, and Dolce and Gabbana, as well as posing for artists, making TV appearances and writing a memoir. This year, she was included in the Queen’s New Year Honours list and was awarded a British Empire Medal for her contribution to fashion, and whilst she no longer wears high heels, she can still do the splits. Here, she tells Charlie how she got into fashion, and why the Queen is her style icon.

Charlie Newman: Firstly, let’s talk about your upbringing – what was it like and how do you think it informed your choice of career?
Daphne Selfe: I spent most of my childhood in Berkshire until my parents moved to Hertfordshire. I always had an eye on fashion because my mother was very beautiful, smart and always made my clothes, but my true love was horses, I was mad on horses. I learnt to sew but I didn’t really get into fashion until I started working at Helles (what John Lewis was) in the coat department. At the store, there was a competition for the cover of a local magazine. All the girls, including myself, went to meet the photographer, and I won! It turned out the photographer was a royal photographer called Gilbert Adams and funnily enough he knew my parents from an amateur Opera society! The last time he saw me I was 2 years old, so when I turned up all 5ft 10 and a half of me aged 19, he really took me under his wing and taught me how to behave in front of a camera. I did lots of little odd jobs for him, assisting him for a while whilst working part time at Helles. The store then had a fashion show and the agency who were supplying the models was one short, so I was propelled onto the catwalk and thought, ‘Oh my god, what am I doing?’ After that they all said I should join the agency. In those days you had 3 weeks of training to be a model. Mummy thought this was a lot better than breaking a collarbone and being kicked in the head by horses so off I went!

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After 3 weeks training, I belonged to the agency. I met my husband, Jim, through Gilbert Adams, because he was the lighting technician of the ballet show we were working on. We didn’t get married straight away because he was busy travelling and I was busy with my dance school. I did my ballet training far too late, at 19 years old, but I assiduously learnt because ballet is the basis of all dance. I learnt from a very interesting choreographer called Buddy Bradley, who was well known in the twenties for having put on an amazing musical called Evergreen with Jessie Matthews. I joined his company because I could sew and help with the costumes and because I loved dancing! Of course nobody went abroad in those days, so when his little company went to Belgium, Rome and Madrid, I was delighted to go with them!

Then I decided Jim was the one, so I got married and in those days you didn’t work once you got married, so I retired and had three children but always kept up with my dance classes. Jim worked in television and one of his friends asked me if I would be an extra in The Arthur Haynes Show. Jim happened to be the stage manager that day, and he said ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ and I said ‘I’m working!’ He thought that was terribly funny, then from that I did more and more extra work, as well as fashion shows and commercials.

Elderly woman poses in a ballerina posture

Instagram @daphneselfe

Charlie Newman: How did your modelling career continue into later life?
Daphne Selfe: I was doing my extra work and in 1999 when I was 70 my agency asked whether I would do a fashion show at London Fashion Week for Red or Dead. I love prancing about in nice clothes so of course I did it! The stylist on the show, Jo Phillips, called me up three months later and said Vogue are doing an article on ageing and suggested I get involved. At the shoot was the scout from Models 1 and I’ve been with them ever since, some 20 years later! I didn’t give up the extra work once I was signed with Models 1 because I know how the industry can like you one minute and not the next. But then I was getting more and more modelling work so I had to drop the extra work in the end.


Charlie Newman: What has been a career highlight for you?
Daphne Selfe: I think going abroad for the jobs is the best thing, because I would never have been able to afford that otherwise. I mean I’ve been to Australia, China, Japan, Africa. Whatever next!

Elderly woman poses sitting in a chair

Instagram @daphneselfe

Charlie Newman: Having worked throughout many fashionable decades, what do you think style means today?
Daphne Selfe: It doesn’t matter what time you live in, you must wear what suits you because then people will always admire you in it, it’s very important not to be driven by the trends of the moment.

Charlie Newman: In a dream world, who would you want to dress you and why?
Daphne Selfe: Currently, I love Roksanda Ilinic’s designs. I love going to Roksanda’s shows now and wearing her clothes at events, they always feel very fun and boost my confidence.

Charlie Newman: What advice would you give to young models starting out their careers?
Daphne Selfe: Taking care of your health is the most important thing because modelling is hard work if you do it properly. It’s long hours, lots of hanging about, lots of physical activity and also you need a good work ethic. In other words, that means be on time, don’t mess about once you’re there, and stay off your phone.

I was working with a Dutch photographer the other day and I was doing all my normal things; inventing poses, jumping around, all the usual. At the end he said to me ‘I’ve never worked with such an energetic model’ which did make me laugh! Just throw yourself into the shoot and give it everything.

Modelling can be horrendous too. I lost a big job the other day, but so what? It wasn’t my fault, it’s about what they want. It’s no good worrying about it, but I know a lot of people find that difficult. Being a model is very difficult if you don’t have much confidence because you have to put yourself in a room of people you don’t know and work with them effortlessly.

Elderly woman posing for a portrait

Instagram @daphneselfe

Charlie Newman: What keeps you happy and healthy?
Daphne Selfe: Well, I do a series of exercises most days, something along the lines of yoga, ballet, a little bit of weights but also static bicycle. Of course, I can’t do everything every day, but I do always do some stretching.

I suppose because I grew up in the war we never ate masses. We grew all our own fruit and vegetables so we had a very strict diet and that’s a mentality which never leaves you.

Charlie Newman: Who was your fashion icon when you were younger?
Daphne Selfe: I suppose in a way we always looked up to royalty, the young Queen, of course, was gorgeous. They all lived such glamorous lives, or so we thought. Whereas now, people don’t want to dress up anymore which I think is such a pity because I love dressing up!

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who is your role model of the month?
Daphne Selfe: It’s got to be the Queen, she’s absolutely fantastic! She always wears bright colours but is also discreet. I know of course she has money, but it really doesn’t cost a lot to look good. I’ve always made my own things and looked as good as anybody else.

Follow Daphne Selfe on Instagram:@daphneselfe

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graphic banner in red, white and blue reading Charlie Newman's model of the month

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London based model, actress, filmmaker and Mental Health Foundation ambassador, Florence Kosky

colour headshot of blond girl laughing with hand against face wearing multiple rings

Charlie Newman

LUX’s model of the month series is back with new contributing editor Charlie Newman. Charlie is a model with Models 1 and has starred in numerous international fashion campaigns. She also works as a journalist and in the relaunch of this exclusive online series, she interviews her peers about their creative pursuits and passions

THIS MONTH: British model Florence Kosky is no ordinary 22 year-old. Since being scouted by Models 1 at the tender age of 16, Florence (known as Flo by her friends) has walked the catwalk for the likes of Dior and Dolce & Gabbana, starred in the Burberry AW 2015 campaign shot by Mario Testino, and studied at The New York Film Academy and the Met Film School. She is also an ambassador for the Mental Health Foundation, and earlier this year she released All the World’s a Stage, a film dealing with youth depression.

Charlie Newman: How easy was the transition from model to director/filmmaker? Did you feel as though you had to prove yourself that bit more or were you welcomed into the film industry with open arms?
Florence Kosky: Generally I think people have been very welcoming – I’m luckily working in a time where there is not only a momentous shift in the film industry for female voices to be heard, but also whilst there is a movement happening within fashion for models to be more than just a face for a brand. You know, people like Adwoa Aboah and Teddy Quinlivan are using their platforms to speak loudly about stuff that’s important to them, and people are listening! So it’s kind of great for people like me because it’s already tried and tested that we are more than just pretty faces.

Obviously though, there’s been a bit of pushback – I have actually been on my own sets and people have come up to me and been like ‘oh yeah so you must be art department’ or ‘oh so you’re one of the actresses’ when I’m directing and it’s a bit frustrating to have those snap judgements made because of my age and gender and what I look like, but I think the best thing to do to fight those assumptions is just be as polite and professional as possible, whilst making really great art.

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Charlie Newman: If you could cast anyone who and why?
Florence Kosky: That’s such a hard question! There’s so many incredible actors I would love to work with. I think predominantly for me it’s people like Jessica Lange and Mark Rylance, the older generation of ferocious actors who are just captivating to watch and so fully embody their characters that you forget you are watching them. Although, there’s a young British actress called Florence Pugh who I think is incredible – I saw Lady Macbeth with her in and she just has this strength and stillness that I think is really wonderful. I’d love to work with her.

Watch Florence Kosky’s short film All the World’s a Stage below:

 

Charlie Newman: If you could pick anyone to design your costumes who and why?
Florence Kosky: So actually one of my oldest friends from Dorset, Pandora Ellis, has also recently started in the film industry as a costume designer! And she’s fucking brilliant! She did all the costumes for All The World’s A Stage and The Otherworld and just smashed it. I couldn’t really think of ever using anyone else – we’re both massive fantasy and sci-fi nerds and it’s so lovely to work with someone who just understands how your brain works. The only way I could see myself deviating from this is if there was a specific character who only dressed in a certain designer or something – kind of like Tilda Swinton‘s character wearing only Dior by Raf Simons for A Bigger Splash.

Read more: Ollie Dabbous’ new fine dining restaurant in Piccadilly

Charlie Newman: How would you describe the aesthetic of your films? Do you have any particular inspirations within the industry?
Florence Kosky: I would say my aesthetic is very stylised. I like things to be hyper-real and full of colour. I use a lot of dancing and silhouetted figures and I like to have natural elements in my work, like the stars or water or flowers (or sometimes a combination). I guess you could say it’s quite girly, I grew up on fairytales and then got lost in Tumblr and Pinterest as a teenager and then have worked in fashion for nearly five years so there’s definitely a soft prettiness that I’m drawn to and have always been… it’s hard to sum up really but I guess if I had to I would say it’s dreamlike. From the film industry, I’d say visually I draw the most from Wes Anderson, Guillermo Del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn and David Lynch and then from fashion I’ve always loved Tim Walker‘s aesthetic and more recently Petra Collins and Charlotte Wales.

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Florence Kosky for All Saints. Instagram: @floskyyx

Charlie Newman: In light of the #MeToo movement, you work in the midst of two industries that are being lambasted in the media. Is there anything you would personally like to see change in the film and fashion industry?
Florence Kosky: I’d like more protection for models. The girls who are working a lot of the time are still practically children and I think it’s dark that more often than not they don’t even have somewhere private to get changed and if they complain they’re branded as ‘difficult’. I’d like agencies to stop sending girls out on go-sees to photographers who they KNOW have reputations for being creepy or persistent just because they take nice photographs. There’s a lot of people out there who take nice photographs and to be honest, I don’t think having a pretty picture in your book is worth being harassed via instagram DM by a photographer or stylist or whatever for months or years to come!

With regards to the film industry, it would be great if twenty-something-year-old dudes writing their first script could avoid chucking in sex or shower scenes just because they want to make it racy. It’s gratuitous and boring to watch. If it serves the narrative then, fine absolutely, I get it, but otherwise it just pisses me off because there’s no point and it just adds to the objectification of women, and for a lot of young actresses that is their first experience of a set and it’s just shitty, especially if the director isn’t experienced, it’s putting people in a vulnerable situation without the correct tools to make sure they’re okay just to give a ‘gritty’ feel to your film.

Read more: Painter John Virtue’s monochromatic world at Fortnum & Mason

Charlie Newman: Huge congratulations on your film All the Worlds a Stage that shone a light on the perils and understanding of depression. As an Ambassador of the Mental Health Foundation, how do you think we can implement awareness and help day to day, especially in schools?
Florence Kosky: Thank you! I think there’s a responsibility that parents and schools have to educate their children about mental health and suicide. PSHE lessons provide a really good platform to educate young people about mental health and suicide and I do think that there is actually traction there – the government announced a Green Paper on mental health last year so hopefully we’re going to see a bigger push in education about these issues.

I think it’s crucial that conversations are opened up at a young age as school aged children are at risk – 200 kids a year die by suicide in the UK and so we really have to do something about it to save those young lives. The first step to prevention is awareness and the creation of safe spaces where these children know that it’s okay to speak about mental health and feel comfortable asking for help when they need it. Aside from education though, I think on a personal level it’s important that we remember to just be kind to one another. If you think your friend is struggling, text them and tell them you love them! Go round their house and watch a movie and bring them snacks! Send someone a song that reminded you of them! The littlest things can mean the most to someone whose feeling alone.

Model poses in pattered one piece swim suit leaning against wooden door with tie headband

Florence Kosky for Harvey Nichols. Instagram: @floskyyx

Charlie Newman: What’s next for you?
Florence Kosky: I’m actually working on my first feature which is terrifying but very, very exciting. I’m still working on the script at the minute with another writer, the wonderful Josh Willdigg. It’s a fantasy film that deals with mental health, sexuality, feminism and summoning demons! It’s quite a bit darker than my previous work but I’m very excited to get into development.

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who’s your role model of the month?
Florence Kosky: My role model of the month is my good friend Amber Anderson. She’s a beautiful model, a talented actress and one of many women who accused Harvey Weinstein. She has been a bit of a SHERO for me the past 6 months by giving up her time and working on All The World’s A Stage and helping me share its message when it was released. She’s also helped me personally by giving me someone to speak to about my own experiences with sexual assault, whilst maintaining a good sense of humour and a talent for cooking vegan shepherd’s pie. Soppy, but I am grateful to have her in both my professional and personal life!

Find Florence Kosky on Instagram: @floskyyx

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