Why do you think you became an icon in the early 21st century?

I’m very flattered to be called that! I suppose fashion is always looking for something new, and I came into the industry just when all the Brazilian girls were the big thing. I guess I was slightly androgynous then, with very short hair, and offered an entirely different look. The first Gucci campaign I did in 1998 with Tom Ford, Mario Testino, and Carine Roitfeld, was a very beautiful and strong campaign. Everything took off from there. I worked for many many designers on the catwalk, and shot for a huge range of brands, from Gucci, to Gap, to Ralph Lauren etc… Someone said to me that part of being a good model was being versatile, and I suppose I had that.

Has it influenced your new stage as a photographer that your mother was also a photographer?

Definitely. My mother was a wonderful photographer and taught me the basics of how a camera works when I was about 9. She always encouraged me to take pictures and I’ve always loved it. When I lived in New York I did an amazing course in photography at ICP. Now I’m here in Kent for lockdown, and working from my Mum’s old studio. I feel her presence all the time and hear her making suggestions and giving me advice.

How is the fashion industry changing?

It’s an ever-evolving industry. It’s always pushed the limits of convention and what we are used to in society, and that’s what its doing now. Its become much more environmentally aware. Its brilliant that its become so much more conscious of sustainability and general responsible behaviour, and is actively trying to promote that.

Is your country life as good an inspiration?

Yes.. There is so much to photograph here. Yesterday we saw a huge lorry filled with sheep driving up to the fields, so we jumped in the car as quickly as possible to follow it and let the children watch the scene. I grabbed my camera on the way out and got some great pictures!

Is there someone you’ve always wanted to photograph?

I’d love to photograph Tom Stoppard. I’m a big fan of his amazing plays, and you can see so much wisdom and life in his face – I think it would be interesting to capture his character and lifestyle in a portrait.

Tell us about your projects

Workwise I’m really working on building up my photography portfolio at the moment. I’m experimenting with my camera every day and using this time in lockdown to get to explore my creativity on that front. I’m glad I had the foresight just before lockdown to pack my tripod into the car, and purchase my ‘remote shutter release.’ Without those two things, I wouldn’t have been able to do the fashion pictures, using myself as a model. It’s certainly been challenging -focusing the camera on the right spot for one thing, is hard. But I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve also been taking lots of portraits of my family, the beautiful scenery around us, farm life, etc..

Other than the photography, I have my home in Tangier, Morocco, to take care of. My mother left her beloved house there to me and my younger sister. Its my ‘special place’ and where I love going on holiday with my family. We rent it out to tenants when we aren’t there to help pay for it. So there is always a fair amount of work for that – managing the staff, finding the tenants, repairing things etc. At the moment its hard – we’ve lost all our summer tenants, so we need to come up with solutions… It’s a heavenly place though so worth the work.

Of course my kids take up a huge amount of my time too. I’m a pretty hands on Mum when I’m not working – I like to be involved in everything they do at this early stage in their life – that definitely gives me a lot of pleasure. The recent homeschooling has been quite a challenge! Getting a 4 year old to concentrate isn’t easy, specially when you’re the Mum trying to be the teacher!