For a woman who has spent an entire lifetime in front of the flashing camera, Daphne Selfe is surprisingly without a sliver of vanity. At the respectable age of 83, Daphne still has a well-known reputation for being a trusty professional who is an absolute natural beauty and fun to work with. As for her what keeps her young, her fans were shocked to find out her rules were rather simple: keep it real.
The Models 1 agency model explained there is an easier and healthier way to maintain good looks, and it is not the surgical syringe that most models turn to today: “I’ve never had anything done to my face,’ said Daphne, pulling one face and then quickly changing to another. “Not that poison, not a facelift. I think it’s a waste of money. Anyway, I couldn’t afford it!”
It is not common at all to hear of a woman who is nearly midway in her 80’s but still has enough energy and spike to maintain a respectable career, a healthy state of mind and enviable figure.
“I think it’s partly down to good genes,” explains Selfe. “My mother was a livewire, she lived until she was 95. I’ve never really bothered with skin cream or anything like that, although I might use a bit of Boots. I hate anything you can’t take the top off and dig around for what’s left in the bottom.”
As for her take on the fashion industry these days, Daphne had a surprising insight that she was not afraid to share: “I do think women are too sloppy these days. No matter where I was going, I had a hat, and matching bags and shoes. Like all girls in those days, I made the most of my own clothes. Not like models today, who seem to wear skinny jeans between shows. I always wore a roll-on corset. Never leggings! Just dreadful!”
Daphne was also asked if she dreaded getting older back in her primetime, to which she replied: “‘It’s going to happen, so why worry? My generation got on with it. I do find people are always complaining these days. I try to remain cheerful, not grumpy.”
