The girl from Phoenix (Arizona) who, with her green eyes and clear forehead, became world famous at the age of 17 in the early 1990s, has since had time to harbor several lives. She was in high school when her mother, a postal service employee, took her to the Linda Layman modeling agency. Those were times when appearing on the cover of Vogue USA meant having the world –of fashion– at your feet, and she starred in 13. Together with Kate Moss, Stella Tennant or Saskia de Brauw, she contributed a more sober, sugar-free style and personal, to the concept of top model coined by the generation of Linda, Claudia and Naomi. An image that refreshed the American beauty style: smart beauty they baptized it.
But, once she had achieved the supermodel crown, she hit rock bottom in 2000. Nothing seemed enough and everything was too much. For this reason, she stopped the fever of campaigns, flashes and catwalks and she began to look for herself. She has never blamed fashion for her addiction to drugs and alcohol, assuring that she probably would have consumed them in other areas as well. Today, about to turn 50 – sober half a lifetime – she has become an activist fighting against climate change. She is a member of the Oceana Association, which is dedicated to cleaning the oceans, a spokesperson for sustainable fashion and a convinced Democrat (who participated in the re-election campaign of Barack Obama in 2012).
She has also developed an acting career that has led her to share sequences with Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Will Smith, Eva Mendes or Ben Stiller in films like What the truth hides or Hitch: specialist in leagues and series like Legends and Revenge. And, in 2014, she launched her own socially conscious e-commerce platform, Master.
As the New York MET celebrates its major Karl Lagerfeld tribute exhibition, Valetta, ambassador of the brand founded by the Kaiser, presents a new capsule collection with which KL is committed to working sustainably, from the first sketch to the production. Denim garments and nods to Lagerfeld classics make up a collection that “creates a dynamic and playful tension between paying homage to the past, drawing inspiration from Karl’s archive, and innovating for the future using unconventional thinking, innovative processes and more sustainable materials. “.
The interview takes place via Zoom, and she greets with a clean face, her hair up and, at times, seventies-style glasses, sitting at a rustic table in her Los Angeles home. The room is simple, and the light from the Pacific filters through.
What would you recover from the nineties?
I would like to bring back innocence. And also the analog era, since digital has made us lose a lot of mystery and emotion. The pace at which we move is so fast! We don’t even have time to be as creative as we’d like, because everything revolves around right now…
Who helped you the most when you were starting out?
I would say the man who was my agent then and is now my manager, Didier Fernandez. And then there are so many people in the fashion industry… Incredible photographers, like Steven Meisel or Peter Lindberg; Anna Wintour, who gave me my first US Vogue cover very early on; stylists like Toni Goodman or Camilla Nickerson; and makeup artist Pat McGrath. And, of course, Donatella Versace. I have had a lot of support, and I feel very grateful.
Has fashion become a platform for environmental activism for you?
I don’t think it’s pure activism, but our planet is in great danger and so are we. I believe that the planet will survive us, now the foundations of a good life for future generations depend on our present behavior.
Was there a specific experience that triggered your current commitment to sustainability?
It has been a gradual journey. I grew up in Oklahoma, with the countryside all around me. My grandparents had a farm. When I was young, my mother actively protested to shut down a nuclear power plant that had been built on Native American land. And, I, she listened to the speeches about the hole in the ozone layer or the ecological problems derived from the fashion industry, where, in addition, many workers were not treated fairly, with just 20 years. And all of that woke me up. I started attending classes at New York University on the environment… There have been several steps that I have climbed to end up committing myself to defending the planet.
It is interesting that he points out the rights of his workers among the problems of the fashion industry, beyond how polluting it is…
Yes, climate justice and social justice go hand in hand. We cannot try to reduce poverty by ignoring climate issues, and neither can we ignore climate issues when trying to solve problems like inequality or social mobility. When you are treated fairly and respect your right to prosper, you will treat everything around you better, including the environment. The great extremes of wealth and poverty are not okay, we have to find a balance.
Going back to the fact that fashion is the second most polluting industry on the planet, what can we do to make people aware of it?
I think the most important thing is communication, and then transparency. Your job as a journalist is to talk honestly about it, telling the truth. Mine is to also talk about it and work with brands. We need to communicate to people that their power lies in what they choose to buy, and try to get them to think about their wardrobe in a different way. It is not about punishing anyone, but about raising awareness to change behaviors. We have solutions, let’s implement them!
In their collection for Karl Lagerlfed they have developed ecological designs that use recycled materials and are sustainable…
Yes, whether it’s natural fibers produced without using petrochemicals or recycled cotton. Everything is upcycling in the collection. And the real goal is for each new capsule collection to be more sustainable and innovative than the last. As an ambassador for Karl Lagerfeld, I try to find where measures can be introduced in this sense to achieve changes in the corporation’s strategy in order to be more sustainable. It’s a process, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a lot of internal dialogue and reflection. And then you have to collect data, investigate, do pedagogy… But they are very willing, which is already incredible.
How was your relationship with Karl? What did you learn from him?
Karl was for me a mythical creature, I thought that he was hardly human. I always saw him as a magician. He was also incredibly smart and a lot of fun. I admired him. I was always interested in listening to him to learn from him and his incredible adaptability.
What inspired you in this third capsule collection?
I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with Karl, so I knew his iconic looks well… There were two key moments in the development of the collection: one when we were working on the moodboard; there was a photo of him that really stood out from the rest, and I said: we have to give him his look… And so there is a white jean jacket with a pair of white jeans that have been cut in a man’s pattern, with the straight leg. And, on another occasion, we were in Amsterdam doing tests, and, among the archive pieces, I discovered a jacket from the nineties so cool that it immediately became another tribute to him. It is important to remain faithful to the brand, to Karl, but then you have to dare to evolve.
Do you still find fashion fun?
Absolutely! I’m not going to lie to you, I love my job. I would take creative photos, just for the joy of taking them. I love the fantasy that fashion projects. But I’m also in the industry to help change it. In fashion we are innovative and creative, we think outside the box… and, on the other hand, I am convinced that we have the financial means to become the greatest agent of change.
He affirms that he left behind the night, alcohol and drugs twenty years ago, and that he lives in sobriety. What does she feed her today?
I meditate daily and carry out a spiritual practice that works for me and communicates me with a higher power. And that has helped me change the way my egocentric mind worked so that I can see God in you, in me, in everything. That is for me the ultimate truth. And, thus, I do not associate the notion of power with money, fame, or fear. I have an incredible network of friends and family, and, you know, it’s sunny here, outside… and I take the time to enjoy it. And I exercise, I sleep well…
Has being a mother changed you, made you more conservative, or more courageous?
It changes your life, yes. If that is what you want, to be a mother, and you are blessed with children, the journey can be extremely powerful. The relationship with children is the most intimate you can establish. Being a mother made me feel a lot of empathy towards my parents, because it is very hard to be a father or a mother. I still feel that my mother has superpowers and she is immortal, when she is no more –no less– than a human being doing the best she can. Like me. The big lesson is learning that no one does it perfectly, mistakes are always made. The important thing is to correct them.
Do you have some kind of secret or hobby when you get in front of the camera?
I don’t have any superstitions, no. Someone recently said that models are generous because they open their spirits with confidence, leaving their vulnerability aside. And I had never thought about that… There are days when you don’t feel well, and others when the environment is not suitable and it is difficult to reach something deep. I always try to think “how can I be the best version of myself?”. It’s not super hard work, but it’s not easy either.
What does freedom mean to you?
I think freedom is knowing that wherever I go I am at peace. Free yourself from the slavery of the self; it really is a state of mind and spirit.
She has acted in about twenty movies and series, but we haven’t seen her on the screen for a long time. Does she have any paper in her hands?
The problem is that the projects I received five years ago were not satisfactory for me and I decided to take a break. I wanted to focus my career. If something really big came along, I would do it without hesitation. You know, Pedro Almodóvar, for example. I’d be happy playing a little character in one of his movies. But I don’t feel the need to be calling my agent every day, doing castings and trying to get into a new project… If a project excites me I will never say no.
