Oldest working model: Carmen Dell'Orefice sets world record (Video)
NEW YORK, NY, USA -- Supermodel Carmen Dell'Orefice, has been modelling ever since she got on the cover of Vogue at 15 years old; the veteran model this weekend celebrated her 80th birthday , setting the world record for Oldest working model. Photo: Carmen Dell'Orefice, The World's Oldest Working Model. Photo courtesy of Rolex. (enlarge photo)
The Guinness world record for the oldest professional model was set by Daphne Selfe (UK), who of Baldock, Hertfordshire, UK, celebrated her 82nd birthday in July 2010.
Guinness World Records also recognized the oldest Playboy model: Patricia Paay (Netherlands, b. 7 April 1949), who posed for the Christmas edition of Playboy Netherlands, on 10 December 2009.
Carmen began her career at US Vogue in 1945 where she was on contract for $7.95 an hour. She even served as muse to Salvador Dali when she was just 13.
Today, at 80, she's still working as a model–she walked at Alberta Ferretti's Pitti Uomo show and Adrienne Vittadini's Lincoln Center presentation earlier this year–and she's living proof that beauty gets better with age.
In her 66 year career Carmen has graced the cover of Vogue six times, landed 14 cosmetics campaigns, and was photographed by the greats (Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Cecil Beaton to name a few).
Her big break came in 1946 when she became one of the youngest ever cover girls for Vogue.
She appeared in the December issue as Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Cinderella.
Ms Dell'Orefice has been married three times and has one daughter.
