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Aurelie Claudel
By SARA TEMPLETON
 When
a top model pipes up and explains: "I just want to get
a family, get my horses, and chill out," we can't help
but think there's still hope for models...
Of course, when asking a high-profile fashion model about
her future, we totally expect an answer to be something like:
"I want to make more money than Oprah, then squash my
skinny rivals into the catwalk. Grrrr!"
So, is French-born Aurelie Claudel the start of a new wave
of models who - shock horror - aren't egocentric princesses?
Quite possibly, but then it would be a gross generalisation
to call all top-flight fashion models egocentric. It's
probably more like 98 per cent. But I digress...
The world of the fashion model is a glitzy, ritzy place,
but it does take a lot of hard work. For Aurelie, she simply
happened across the industry when shw was 'discovered' in
a park, but that's not to say she didn't do the hard yards.
Born on August the 7th, 1980, in the French town of Saint-Mars-d'Autille,
Aurelie comes from a line of notable artists, one of whom
was Camille Claudel, the sculptor best known for her relationship
with Auguste Rodin, the man who created "The Thinker"
sculpture.
As such, Aurelie's father was also a pillar in French society,
and when at the age of 13 his daughter was approached by a
model scout in Jardin des Plantes in Paris, he was adamant
that she not pursue a career in modeling.
 But
Aurelie was a fighter, and she quit school to follow her what
she believed in.
By the age of 17, in late 1997, she had an editorial in German
Vogue, and from here on in she went from strength to strength.
Aurelie Claudel was featured on the cover of a Euro edition
of Cosmopolitan in November '97, and soon after everyone wanted
Aurelie to work for them.
She's appeared in UK, French, Italian, German and Australian
Vogue, plus Allure magazine, Harper's Bazaar - twice, Elle,
Marie Claire; the list goes on...
More than just a pretty face, Aurelie was also courted by
many a fashion designer to model their work, and soon she
was strutting the catwalk wearing labels such as Emanuel Ungaro
and Gucci, not to mention American's perennial lingerie favourite
- Victoria's Secret.
She's also starred in marketing campaigns for names like
Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Valentino, Chanel, Calvin Klein and Nina
Ricci. One of her more widely-recognised appearances includes
the female lead in Ricky Martin's Private Emotion video-clip.
Livin' the life, indeed.
Standing 177cm tall, the French brunette's influence was
reaching further afield as time wore on and, in 2001, she
graced the pages of yet another American institution, the
Sports Illustrated 2001 Swimsuit Edition.
Having worked with such photographers as Mario Testino on
the highly-regarded Pirelli calendar, Peter Lindbergh and
even Steven Meisel, Aurelie has a reputation as one of the
more professional models in the industry.
It shows too, as she has contracts with many an agency: IMG
in New York, Paris and London, Paolo Tomei in Milian, Modelwerk
in Hamburg and 2PM in Copenhagen.
At the age of 22 (circa 2003), expect to see a lot more of
Aurelie Claudel in future, and one of the most impressive
things about Aurelie Claudel is her down-to-earth attitude,
which counts for a lot more than many would otherwise like
to think. One of her hobbies is horse riding, and wanting
nothing more than to do this, start a family and "chill
out" is highly commendable in my book.
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