LONDON — Fashion model Marie Helvin has come out of retirement for lingerie brand Bluebella’s Valentine’s campaign.
The 71-year-old confidently poses in a series of images wearing the brand’s lingerie. The collection features slipdresses, lingerie sets, bodysuits and accessories.
Helvin underwent a mastectomy last year and is keen to get back to work once again, she said.
Courtesy of Bluebella
“I actually stopped modeling around the age of 40, because there was no work and I was considered too old. And it was really, only when I turned 50 that I started working again. So this is my second career in a strange way,” said the model, who has walked for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and starred in Valentino campaigns.
“I don’t know how much longer it’s going to last but I’m going to continue for as long as it’s there because I enjoy it. And also, it’s my job. It’s what I’ve done my entire life. It’s what I know, what to do best of all,” she said.
In the ’70s and ’80s, Helvin worked extensively with fashion photographer and ex-husband David Bailey. The couple collaborated on a black-and-white photography book titled “Trouble and Strife,” featuring the model nude.
Courtesy of Bluebella
“I’m not ready to retire yet; who says a woman can’t model lingerie in her 70s?” Helvin said.
The model first discovered lingerie in the early ’70s and has since made a habit of collecting. She hopes her body positive campaign with Bluebella will make “women feel a bit freer and make them think, if she can do it, I can do it,” she said.
Bluebella was founded by Emily Bendell with the aim to champion innovation and inclusivity surrounding lingerie.
Last year, the brand tapped English singer, songwriter and actress, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, for its Valentine’s Day campaign.