If you thought Twiggy was perhaps the oldest model in the world still working, forget it! Octogenarian Carmen Dell’Orefice gives any model out there a true run for their money!

The still glamorous American beauty started modelling in 1946 at the tender age of 15, after her godfather introduced her to American Vogue, and is one of the youngest models ever to have graced the cover of the magazine (she did it for the first time in October 1947). But unlike what tends to happen with young models nowadays, Carmen didn’t shoot to stardom straight away and, despite her modelling jobs, she and her mother struggled to makes end meet, having to supplement Carmen’s modelling income by making clothes (they both were accomplished seamstresses).

Image courtesy of American Vogue cover archive

It wasn’t until 1953 that Carmen got signed up by Eileen Ford and, from then on, she would work with top photographers such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Francesco Scavullo, and Norman Parkinson,amongst others. She even became a muse to prominent Spanish painter Salvador Dalí.

Image courtesy of www.skrebneskiphotographs.com

Despite taking several career breaks to enjoy her private life away from the limelight, Carmen sadly made some ill-advised financial decisions that saw her losing her fortune twice, first in the 1980s in the stock market and more recently, in 2008, at the hands of fraudster Bernard Madoff.

So perhaps it is no surprise that Carmen is still working. Between the 1990s and 2000s, she has modelled for Target (Isaac Mizrahi’s discounted clothing line), as well Cho Cheng, Qasimi, Alberta Ferretti and as recently as February this year, she appeared on the catwalk for Adrienne Vittadini during New York Fashion Week. She has also appeared in advertising campaigns for luxury brands such as Rolex.

Image courtesy of Rolex Press Office

Image courtesy of Donna Karan New York Press Office

Sixty-six years into the modelling business, Carmen finally received the recognition she most definitely deserves last 19th July, when she received from The University of Arts London an honorary doctorate alongside the likes of Hussain Chalayan and Vidal Sassoon. Likewise, The London College of Fashion is preparing an exhibition opening in November this year to celebrate Carmen’s outstanding career.

Image courtesy of Ari Seth Cohen (from Advanced Style)

Whatever the reasons for Carmen to continue to model to this day, at Caradiaz, we simply adore her. To us she is one of the most-glamorous, fabulous women on the planet and it is incredibly refreshing to see her challenging the modern canons of beauty at a time when people seem to be obsessed with wrinkles, botox and all kids of ridiculous types of surgery to try and look younger.

I wish I could get to Carmen’s age looking half – or just a third! - as graceful and glamorous as she does…