Claudia Schiffer is happy for her career to come second to her family.
The 54-year-old supermodel admitted her focus changed after she married Matthew Vaughn and they had their three children, Casper, now 21, Clementine, 19, and Cosima, 14, as she became less “competitive”, and while she knows she could still book more jobs if she wanted to, she’s content with the balance she’s achieved in her life.
She recently told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “When I was in my 20s, travelling around the world, my focus was on my career – working hard, being competitive and getting to the top.
“That changed when I had kids, and now, I feel lucky to have such a wonderful family.
“I’m proud of my children, they’re very down to earth and their wellbeing is mine and my husband’s priority.
“I could take on a lot more runways, photoshoots and other projects, but maintaining a balance that enables me to spend quality time with my family and be there when they need me is far more important to me than doing a great new campaign.”
Claudia was one of the original supermodels and though she appreciates their position in the fashion industry was “revolutionary”, it was only looking back much later that she understood just how special a time it was.
She said: “The 1990s saw the rise of the supermodel, but also the emergence of style culture and fearless creativity. A wave of young new talent fundamentally changed the way we viewed fashion and design.
“Previously, models had been categorised as runway, commercial or editorial, but as supermodels, we traversed those boundaries, becoming household names that represented self-made success.
“We were at the forefront of everything and whatever we wanted, we made happen, which was revolutionary for the industry. I barely took a day off, travelling constantly across the world, but it was huge fun too.
“It was only when I got married and later became pregnant, so I went at a slower pace, that I could truly look back and appreciate how special the 1990s were – unlike any other decade.”