Eva Herzigova (Litvínov, Czech Republic) had planned to throw a party to celebrate her 50th birthday, but a few days before sending out the invitations, she received a call that upset her plans.
"Eva, you have to go to the Oscars in Los Angeles," her agent told her.
“But that weekend is my birthday,” she replied.
"It would be good if you went," insisted her representative.
“I don't live in Los Angeles and I don't go there very often.
I have some friends there, but they were all out of town at the time.
So I spent my birthday alone in Los Angeles.
I managed to organize a small dinner, but without my family.
It was very strange, ”she explains as she prepares for the photo session for El País Semanal in a studio in Corvetto, an industrial area of Milan.
“Since I haven't celebrated my 50th birthday yet, I still say I'm 49″, she continues,
Herzigova has spent almost 35 years having to change her personal plans to meet her work commitments.
At 16, she won a modeling contest in Prague and left her hometown of Litvínov, near the German border, to try her luck in Paris.
She was the prototype of impossible beauty that brands were looking for at that time: 1.80 meters tall, blonde, blue eyes, 90-60-90.
In 1992 she became famous playing a modern Marilyn Monroe in an advertisement for the Guess jeans brand, and in 1994, at the age of 21, she starred in the Wonderbra bra campaign.
In the ad, the model looked down at her breasts enhanced by the “wonder bra” while the message read: “Hi guys.”
The English press claimed that the billboards caused traffic jams and accidents on the roads.
push up
every 15 seconds in the United States during 1994 and 1995.
The supermodel, in a top with cone-shaped breasts and a Medusa logo detail, a cotton pencil skirt and a leather belt with a double Medusa closure, all by Versace.Nico Bustos
The Wonder Bra campaign changed Herzigova's life and opened the doors to the early supermodel club of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss.
Since then, she has achieved it all in fashion: she was one of the famous angels of the Victoria's Secret lingerie firm, the cover of every magazine —including Playboy— and the star of the Sports
Illustrated
swimsuit
special
.
In 2011 she was even one of the stars of
Girl Panic!
, the Duran Duran video clip that MTV censored for considering it "too provocative."
She now leads a more peaceful life in Turin with her husband, the Italian businessman Gregorio Marsiaj, and her three children.
She assures that she works less and that she studies each offer more, but there is always a photo session or a parade somewhere in the world that forces her to leave her comfort zone.
Now fashion exudes a certain nostalgia for the nineties.
What do you think it is due to?
The nineties were colorful, happy and carefree.
When I started, I came from a communist country, full of restrictions, and I entered an industry of infinite possibilities.
The nineties were fun, it was the time of
crop tops
, showing underwear,
baggy
pants , Marky Mark posing for Calvin Klein… I understand that fashion wants to go back to that.
It may work for young people, but not for me.
Why do we still have a fascination with the supermodels of the nineties?
The young girls connect with the
influencers
, with the superstars of social networks, but I don't know if the older ones do.
And fashion brands know who their real clientele is, who are the women who really spend money.
Customers who buy are of a certain age and identify with those of a certain age.
The models of that generation have an experience, we have lived and we have a history.
The 90s were so much fun: the economy was booming, the music was amazing, everything was like a dream.
Supermodels are a testament to that era.
Maybe that's why we're still around, because we remind people of better and happier times.
“From a very young age my job has consisted of playing different roles in front of a camera or in a parade.
Now, finally, I really know who I am and what I want in life,” she says.
The model is wearing a tulle dress and black cotton panties, both by No. 21, and a bra by Oysho.Nico Bustos
The supermodel wears a cotton bodysuit by Hermès and a tulle cape by Zara.
Nico Bustos
They were real stars, like Hollywood actresses...
It's what I like about this job, the interpretation, the part of a silent film actress.
Before, the models created characters and told a story with a beginning and an end.
Now everything is more boring and flat.
There is no fantasy anymore.
Magic is missing and I miss it.
It seems that he is bored.
Does work bore you?
Yes, sometimes.
That is why I am now very selective with the jobs I accept.
I need to know what clothes I am going to wear and what equipment I am going to work with.
I don't want to be a hanger where clothes are hung to be photographed.
I don't understand that part of current fashion.
Now the industry wants models to be hangers and that bores me.
So what motivates you to keep working?
I don't have a specific motivation.
In fact, I'm pretty annoyed with fashion.
The pandemic made me reflect on how fashion is not doing a good job of protecting the planet and the environment.
I don't know why brands don't slow down and go back to doing two collections a year like before.
Now everyone does pre-collection, cruise collection, capsule collection... That implies moving large production teams and generates a huge mountain of waste.
It's useless.
How many black jumpers do we need?
The fashion people I know are very aware of climate change and sustainability, so I don't understand why the industry continues in this destructive dynamic of producing more and more...
“I don't want to be a hanger where clothes are hung to be photographed.
I don't understand that part of fashion”, says Herzigova, who is wearing a dress with a cotton hood, a leather belt and a microfiber panty, all by Saint Laurent.Nico Bustos
The supermodel poses in a crop top and tulle pencil skirt, satin bra and briefs, all by Dolce & Gabbana.
Nico Bustos
So brands talk more than they do?
There are brands that are doing interesting things, but it is not enough.
What can fashion do to save the world?
Produce less and make clothes last longer.
Earlier we talked about his passion for acting.
You came to work as an actress, but you left it.
How was the experience?
I had some amazing experiences.
One day Stanley Kubrick phoned me at home.
He told me: “Hi, I'm Stanley Kubrick.
You will receive a fax in three minutes with three scenes that I would like you to play in my new movie.
I can't send you the script, none of the actors can read the script before we start shooting.
Thanks for accepting.
Bye bye".
My fax machine started working and I read the paper that I wanted it to do.
I had to be nude in every scene and I thought, “No way.”
It was a small role, interesting, but I had to be naked.
I considered: "If I want to work in the film industry, I have to start on the right foot."
I asked his team if I could do the scenes with some clothes on and they said no, that was the director's vision.
I thanked him and said no.
Eyes Wide Shut
, with Tom Cruise.
That's how I am.
I am not a calculator, I am guided by my instincts.
It was not the role of my life.
So I don't regret it.
There is a lot of talk about the objectification of women in fashion and film.
Have we evolved?
#MeToo helped change many things, although in the fashion industry a part of the movement was unfair to some photographers.
Some of them did not have a chance to defend themselves.
They were sentenced without trial or defense.
On the other hand, great things have been achieved, such as the conviction of Harvey Weinstein.
Men like him did a lot of damage to a lot of women.
But not just in Hollywood, but everywhere.
Abuses are not only committed in the world of glamour.
That also happens in any office or work.
But I bet there are also women with power who abuse other people.
And people don't talk about it.
That's why I don't want to talk about men or women, I want to talk about power.
Power is always abusive and I'll stick with that #MeToo thing: how powerful people abuse other people.
Herzigova wears a black tulle bodysuit and a velvet skirt with a train and a transparent detail on the front, all by Alaïa.Nico Bustos
“What can fashion do to save the world?
Produce less and make clothes that last longer”, says the model.
In this image, she is wearing a top, skirt, pink bra, panties and ribbed shorts, all by Miu Miu.Nico Bustos
Have you ever felt objectified or in an awkward situation?
When I started working in fashion I was very genuine, but I have very strong values and I have always known what is right and what is wrong.
When I have found myself in an uncomfortable situation, my instincts have helped me escape.
Laughter has helped me a lot.
Laughing in the face of some men has saved me from many awkward situations.
A laugh in time has helped me ridicule older men who were trying something.
I've always been very strong and independent, so I've been lucky.
But I'm sure many women are paralyzed in these situations and that feeds the predator.
It must be horrible to lose control of yourself.
Speaking of control, what's it like to have turned 50?
[Long pause].
During the pandemic the world stopped and that helped me slow down, settle in Turin and embrace some peace and quiet.
For a long time I didn't know who she was because she was always playing a different woman.
From a very young age my work has consisted of that, playing different roles in front of a camera or in a parade.
Now, finally, I really know who I am and what I want in life.
“The 90s were so much fun: the economy was booming, the music was amazing, everything was like a dream.
Supermodels are a testimonial to that era,” says Herzigova, wearing a chiffon top and pleated skirt by Dries Van Noten and a bra by Oysho.Nico Bustos
In the pandemic we said that we were going to come out being better people.
It seems that you have achieved it.
I think people are more maniacal than before the pandemic.
Everyone is eager to make up for lost time.
I don't want that for me.
I say no to many jobs because I don't see a purpose in them.
I have a life, a husband and three children and I don't want to waste time.
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