Having first been discovered as a teenager, Sam Gold has enjoyed an exceptionally long and illustrious career in modelling. Her work has sent her jet-setting across the world, and seen her appear on the covers and pages of Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and more. Sam has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion over the years, and today she continues to fly the flag for models who show that youth and beauty aren’t the same thing!
Cashmere lover, she’s also an entrepreneur and runs the small company Alvin & Sparky, selling mainly handmade children’s cashmere plush toys.
Following her recent shoot with us, we caught up with Sam to learn a little more about her…
Pure accident! When I was 15 a friend was trying her hand at photography and asked if I’d be her “subject”! Then, unbeknownst to me, she sent her pics of me to Elite Model Agency, they called and I went in to meet them and they signed me on there and then. Next thing I knew I was sent to Milan, followed by Paris then a 6 months stint in Japan, back to Paris where I was based for the main part of the first part of my career (about 8 years).
Images Iconic Focus
Carmen Dell’Orefice (the model, now over 85 years old).
I am obsessed with fashion and textiles from the Edwardian and Victorian times, then the 1940’s – much more so than recent eras.
Also, I do love to wear (and collect) some of the couturiers of the 20th C. specifically vintage Chanel – there is nothing more beautiful in its simplicity than a Chanel boucle jacket!
Carmen Dell’Orefice, September 2012, photo Christopher Macsurak via Wikimedia Commons
Hopefully more companies, such as WoolOvers realize that target markets should be directed accordingly. Using an 18-year-old to portray a 40/50-year-old doesn’t make sense to me! When I was younger, I was always made-up to portray and “sell” to older women, e.g. Yves Saint Laurent campaigns would use me when I was really young, yet their market and price-points were for the 40+’s. Things are slowly changing to reflect brands’ direction (in age), but not everyone’s on board. The UK are far ahead of the US in this it seems. Hopefully the world will follow suit with the Brits soon and enable older women not to feel uneasy staring at someone who is a quarter their age selling them something making them feel insecure and past being “relevant” or feeling good in their skin and at peace with their wrinkles, weight-gain or silver hair. One doesn’t have to be young to feel and/or look good.
Images Iconic Focus
Yes, I am a dual citizen. I was born in London and spent my first 16 years there, then lived in Europe ‘til my late 20’s. I moved to NYC when I was 30, having been forced to retire as I was “too old” to continue to model yet “too young” for the next stage of a now modelling career. It’s a fickle business and there comes a time when the latest greatest brunette comes along and takes your place. The career lifespan was limited.
I believe it’s due to people not feeling irrelevant or old when they see a peer (see comments above). Also, I’m really glad you call it “silver” versus “gray” – I think when people refer to white/silver hair as gray, it has a negative connotation as in “old and gray”. One isn’t “old” if your hair changes color no matter how many birthdays you’ve had!
In all frankness, it’s taken me a while to be at peace with seeing myself on film without retouching, or in the mirror without make-up and realizing I’m not a 30 something anymore (until recently, I wouldn’t even go to the corner store without putting on some mascara!). In the last few years however (since my mid-40’s) I’ve grown to accept, and I now completely embrace, the natural changes and welcome not having to hide and pretend I’m not something I’m not – e.g. when I stopped dying my hair back to its original dark brown was extremely liberating (and If I go on a trip and forget to bring my make-up bag I’m not in a total utter panic!).
Coffee
Gold
Night owl
Gold Shoes/Chanel Bags/Velvet everything(!)/Vintage cashmere sweaters (1940’s-70’s)/Lace
“The Tale of Peter Rabbit” followed directly by “The Tale of Benjamin Bunny”, I just love the message in the latter – i.e. someone’s always got your back and will help you out of a sticky situation and to not feel ashamed and alone in the world, you just have to learn how to reach-out {The friendship factor}.
Hydrate – drink a minimum of 6 liters of water a day
(Tough question! Need to think about this!). Meantime, I smoke like a trouper (a pack a day for over 25 years) which is bizarre given how obsessive I am about what I eat and the amount of water I guzzle, both of which to feel clean and healthy – conflicting with how on earth is it that I smoke!