22 OCTOBER 2001
She ruled the catwalks for almost a decade, but Danish beauty Helena Christensen says that she never felt comfortable as a model, the profession from which she has now retired. “I feel so much better about myself because, when you’re modelling, people are always pointing out your imperfections and you never feel like you’re good enough,” she says. “But all that leaves you when you no longer do it. You just forget about what’s wrong and focus on what’s right.”

Now a successful photographer, Helena is extremely content with her career. “I love being behind the camera,” she says. “It’s an amazing outlet to express your creativity and I feel that it has made me a happier, more content person.” The 33-year-old leads a nomadic existence these days, travelling between London, Paris, New York and Copenhagen with her boyfriend, cult American actor Norman Reedus, and their one-year-old son Mingus.

“I love the way we live,” explains Helena. “I’m like a gypsy and love to travel. I hate the thought of having to live in one place and I can’t see that changing.” She refutes allegations that she and Norman, who was the star of a Prada menswear advertising campaign a few years back, are about to tie the knot, saying that they’re happy with the way things stand.

Although Helena describes motherhood as “amazing,” she was not planning a baby brother or sister for Mingus just yet. “Childbirth is the most painful experience of any woman’s life,” she says. “It’s painful during and after it, and it’s a pain that you never forget and I’m not in a hurry to experience that pain again. But I’m so glad that I’ve got Mingus.”