This month, Estée Lauder has recruited American supermodel Stephanie Seymour to be their newest brand ambassador. The French cosmetics giant’s Global President, Jane Hertzmark Hudis, remarks that what attracted the the brand to recruit the American model is her status as “the ultimate modern beauty icon. . . [Someone who is] Beautiful and accomplished in fashion, entertainment and in life.”
The 45-year-old Seymour is an industry veteran, having been photographed by the likes of fashion photography’s greatest names, including Richard Avedon and Mario Testino to name a few. At the height of her fame in the early ’90s, her face was a permanent fixture on the covers of Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar. She was also selected to front advertising campaigns of noted fashion houses: she has the versatility to represent the likes of celebrated European houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Versace, as well as newer American labels like Jason Wu and Marc Jacobs.
Unlike many other models whose flash-in-the-pan modelling careers registered nothing but minor blips in the industry radar, her career has stood the test of time, and she continues to get bookings on the strength of her name alone. Her influence has even been chronicled in the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of POP Magazine, which included articles and photographic spreads that discuss her body of work.
This all-American head-turner is a perfect fit as the new face of Estée Lauder: there’s no denying her sheer womanness, and her classically beautiful features stand out at any age while remaining open and approachable. Like the Estée Lauder brand ambassadors before her, her brand of quietly dignified beauty is one that is sure to to win favor among the masses.
