Do you know what they call models over 40? Icons.
“When I began modeling in the 1990’s, I was told that I was already “aging out” of the industry at 18,” 40 year old model Sarah Dunn recalls. “She is definitely not on board with that. “For decades, models have been told our careers end at 25. That’s such a boring, patriarchal mentality! I did not stop modeling at 25, I got more interesting.
During quarantine, I recommitted to my modeling journey with a decided intention of breaking into the industry instead of prancing around the edges. I feel I am at the beginning today. I’m 40 with a high kick!
I committed to taking care of my body from a young age and I am deeply grateful for the work I have put in to increase my stamina, my balance, my strength, and my flexibility. I am in better shape than I was at 20, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I have had time to heal from wounds of my childhood (therapy forever!) I am more prepared today to face the challenges and demands of the modeling industry because my mindset has shifted to a place of growth.
I have been practicing Belleruth Naperstek affirmations for a full decade! Belleruth Naperstek offers guided meditations targeting specific issues, her Affirmations for Self-Confidence have changed my brain from the inside out. Guided meditations are a great way to consciously reprogram the subconscious mind. It’s an important daily ritual I keep for my mental health and continued healing of long-term trauma and abuse. Taking care of the mind is a critical element to taking care of the body.
I share my favorite for you today: “I know now that the time for doing things out of fear or worry is over, and that now is the time to do things out of love, celebration, and the joy of self-expression.”
My family is from the same Midwestern county as Cindy Crawford. When her iconic Pepsi commercial debuted, it was all the community could talk about and certainly all I could think of. When we moved to Dallas, I was informed that I looked like Cindy Crawford in braces and I began to imagine that she and I are from the same corn field. I am now nestled in the hills between Dallas and Austin.
Attention, the joy of self-expression, and the driving intention to help other queer kids and people living with mental health issues know that they are not alone contributed to my wanting to model. I was a sheltered, isolated child and I found connections to humanity through images. Modeling is an art of passion and a lifelong craft.
The undeniable, parallel reflection between who I see when I look in the mirror and the faces I see in magazines and on TV made me understand deeply how much representation matters. Being able to see strong, confident women who looked like me made me believe deep down that I have already succeeded as a supermodel. I had a lonely childhood. I want to be seen. I want to show my work. I am here to create dynamic images that inspire others. My spirit has a message to deliver to this earth, and I have been blessed with a beautiful vessel. My intention is to inspire others to go after that dream that won’t leave them alone.
I think about modeling all of the time. It is truly my passion. I love communicating with my body by learning to control and elongate each muscle. Modeling allows me to know myself on an intimate level, which in turn grants me the energy to share more of our common vulnerabilities and celebrate the resilience of mind, body, and soul.
I stand tip-toe on the shoulders of giants. As mentioned earlier, I’ve studied Cindy Crawford since 1987. My early fascination with models alarmed my homeschool mother and I was forbidden from reading women’s magazines. It’s important in life to know which rules to break. My trusty library card and weekly volunteer shift allowed me unsupervised reading time. That’s how Tyra Banks first appeared to me: on a library book shelf! She wrote a book with her (vastly more supportive) mother about what girls need to know about how the modeling business works. Talent is the capacity to learn everything an environment has to offer. I began collecting contraband fashion magazines at garage sales for a dime a piece, this in turn led down the rabbit hole to fashion books the size of coffee tables perched over my ever-elongating legs.
Page Parkes modeling agency discovered me at the mall when 18. Vogue became my Bible at 21. Today, I openly worship Precious Lee, Paloma Elsesser, and Kendall Jenner. I have taken classes at Lola Chel’s Model University, and am honored deeply to have the opportunity now to be working with my supermodel coach Naima Mora through her Lovegevity Model Know How program. These women are shaping me like master sculptors of modeling education.
I am thankful for the great models who have come before me to prove to the world that we refine over time. Aging beautifully is a magically accessibly lifestyle. I hope that my work inspires people of all ages to embrace the beauty of this moment. More and more, the world is marching towards inclusion and diversity. Even the modeling industry!
I see beauty everywhere I look because beauty is within me, it flows through me like a refreshing breeze of inspiration. The beauty industry is opening to this Empress energy that celebrates the diversity of humanity. Models have been held to impossible standards, I was told at 19 that I was too old to start modeling, but I did anyway. I kept showing up on camera even after I stopped trying to break into the industry. I kept modeling. Now that I am 40, modeling is all I will do. I am only accepting modeling jobs from now on. No more bartending, no more waiting tables for me, only modeling.
Do you know what they call models over 40? Icons.”
