Elle Macpherson Shows Off The Body At 49, Recreates Nude Playboy Pose For Harper’s Bazaar
At 49, Elle Macpherson still proves she's "The Body." The Australian supermodel has recreated her iconic Playboy pose she did 19 years ago for Harper's Bazaar Australia magazine, and the result is as stunning as before.
In 1994, the then 30-year-old Elle decided to strip down for Playboy magazine after the press persistently pursued her ex-boyfriends for nude pictures of her. She had just appeared nude in the film Sirens, which also starred Hugh Grant and Portia de Rossi, and the media thought they could get their hands on more naked photos of the statuesque Aussie star known as The Body.
So instead of allowing the press to hound her past, she took control of the situation.
"OK, you want naked? I'll give you naked - but on my terms," she told the Daily Telegraph.
Hence, her very memorable Playboy cover.
But apparently, the public wants more. And fortunately, The Body still got it.
"It's magic, a sort of beautiful magic," Elle told Harper's Bazaar as she posed naked for the August issue of the magazine. Her friend, singer-turned-photographer Bryan Adams, took the shot, and Elle couldn't be happier.
"It's about the team, about trust. I trust the process. Movement is important. Things are dynamic; life is not static. I think people want to see personality."
Elle and the "Please Forgive Me" singer had been reported to enjoy a brief romance together in 2007. Both have moved onto other relationships since, though they remained good friends.
Bazaar editor Kellie Hush told Confidential that Elle was the one who suggested Bryan to take the photo.
"When I approached Elle she immediately said she would love to work on this project with Bryan Adams, who is her dear friend, a music megastar and an accomplished photographer. It was a collaboration match made in heaven."
Her new nude photo is reminiscent of the one she did for Playboy, but without the big hair. For the Bazaar issue, she wore her blonde locks in adorably tousled look. She still has her black stockings and not much else in the photo, though.
Next year, Elle, who has given birth to two sons since the Playboy shoot, will be turning 50. But although for many women, turning half a century old is a bit scary, the Sydney native feels she's ready.
"No one tells you this, but I've recognised it as I've grown older and wiser: wellness, beauty, strength, good moods and stability require constant maintenance and constant tweaking," she said.
"You have to constantly listen to your body. You can't sit there thinking, 'All this used to work.' You're new and fresh and different every day. Resist is and it becomes really tedious. Embrace it and it's a constant renewing process - holistic, a total intelligence.
"It's about being present in your life."