Most women retire from the modeling industry early, pushed out by the younger competition. However, one 67-year-old beauty is still going strong, even modeling in bikinis for major companies.
Yazmeenah Rossi was born in Corsica, France, in 1955, The Guardian reports. Raised by her grandparents who owned a restaurant on the beach, she remembers a time when she had neither running water nor electricity. Although they struggled to make ends meet, they managed to buy her a camera for her eleventh birthday. Rossi was instantly hooked.
At age 16, Rossi became pregnant. Fearful that her father would force her to get an abortion, she married the child’s father and started a family. After having her second child at age 20, Rossi decided she wanted to pursue her own happiness.
“I couldn’t stay with a man I didn’t love just to pay my bills. So I divorced. Work came. When you make the right choice, the universe brings.”
Eventually, her sister, who worked in fashion retail, invited the 28-year-old to stand in for a no-show model during Paris Fashion Week. She had finally discovered her dream. Rossi spent the next 10 years working as a fittings model for high-end retail companies Hermès and YSL. Once she turned 30, she moved to New York to pursue a career in high fashion.
Rossi signed with Ford models and was hired to pose for print campaigns for Bloomingdales, Barneys, J Crew, and Bobbi Brown. By this time, her hair had already turned completely white.
“I’m passionate about what I’m doing. I have no time,” she says. “It’s beautiful. It’s silver!”
Rossi has repeatedly turned down plastic surgery, except for minor facial injections to erase blood vessels. However, she admitted that she was considering a neck lift. She opts for a healthy diet and light workouts. She also rubs olive oil on her face daily and occasionally adds fine sugar as an exfoliate.
It wasn’t until Rossi turned 60 that she launched her swimsuit campaign. During this time, she says many model colleagues called to tell her how “courageous” it was for her to pose in a bathing suit at her age.
“I said: ‘This is not courage. This is simply who I am.’ If more models are authentic, it will impact people who see them.”
Rossi is nearing 70 but has no plans to hang up her career. In fact, she has expressed frustration with the high fashion industry for not hiring her to target an older demographic of customers.
“I wear Dolce & Gabbana, and all that,” she says. “So why don’t they choose me? I’m pissed off, it’s a waste. I may be a certain age, but I have a sexy look. Sexy means alive. I’m alive!”
Rossi hopes that her life story shows women that beauty isn’t always flawless and young. Oftentimes, it includes wrinkles, silver hair, and maturity.
“This is not about ego, or power,” she says. “It’s about being free.”
Rossi plans to continue her career but hopes to branch out from modeling. She is looking into acting classes in an effort to secure screen roles. She wants to show others that being “authentic” is the ultimate influence in the beauty industry.
Rossi hopes that she inspires other women not only to take care of their bodies but also to embrace their age and not allow it to hinder their sense of fashion.
