22 AUGUST 2002
She was the face of cosmetics giant Lancome when she was already well over 40, and now timeless beauty Isabella Rossellini, daughter of screen legend Ingrid Bergman, has landed a prestigious modelling contract with one of Britain’s biggest fashion houses at the age of 50.

The 220-year-old Viyella label has snapped up the half-Swedish, half-Italian beauty for their new line, and even brought in fellow Swede Blaise Reauterswald to do the campaign shoot for the classic/contemporary collection. Isabella, who launched her own successful make-up line, Manifesto, after Lancome terminated her contract in 1994, personally picked out many of clothes she modelled for the photo session.

“We wanted someone who represented a free spirit,” says Viyella's marketing manager Graham Sim. “Someone with natural beauty and public recognition. People love the fact that Isabella is Ingrid Bergman’s daughter. She’s classy, intelligent and has spoken out on age issues, having been dumped by Lancome. She also looks rather good in our clothes.

“We didn’t set out to revolutionise the brand. We hope that by using Isabella, who is a great role model to all women, and by launching a contemporary line, we will attract new customers."

With this new contract, Isabella joins the ranks of models forcing the fashion industry to recognise that beauty doesn't stop at a certain age. Fellow model and adventurer Lauren Hutton, now 58, was dumped by Revlon at the age of 41, but fought back, pointing out: "My generation of '60s women aren't going to stop wanting to be attractive because they've turned 40 or 50. I said, 'You've got to show us in the magazines,' and so they showed me."