Lauren Hutton on her life’s work: ‘Proving that women can be sexy and interested in sex and still be smart’

VOGUE: What would you describe as your goals in life today?

Lauren Hutton: One of them is definitely seeing the whole world, not just Europe but the whole world. Ever since I was five years old I have wanted to see people and things that I had never seen and only heard about. I started traveling in the 60s. In those days the big multinationals hadn’t spread all over the world; so the world actually still consisted of very different places, some places were almost biblical. My second goal in life is to have a benefit. I mean, when you’re born, you have a life. One should consider how useful one can be in this life.

How did you get into modeling?

I was a waitress for almost three years because the job brought in a lot of money. I was a night waitress at Bourbon Street, a jazz club, in a little short dress on my way to college in New Orleans. One day I resigned and said that now I would travel. I never thought of becoming a model. I mean, my mom had two subscriptions to VOGUE and Harper’s Bazaar. She wore them to work every day. But I never thought I could do it. But when I found out how much money models were making – a dollar a minute – I wanted to give it a try.

So I went to New York and decided to figure out how to make this possible. The only job in the paper was that job posting for home models, and that was pretty irrelevant stuff. The only fashion shows in the world were those in Paris in the mid-1960s. They came twice a year, in autumn and spring. The house models were girls who worked on Seventh Avenue making copies of these European dresses like Christian Dior. So I got a job as a home model. And I figured out how to make a living on chicken pot pies. And I made a rule: I wouldn’t date anyone.

How come?

The only thing I allowed myself was to have tea with someone. I still think it’s wise for a woman, if you’re interested in someone and she asks you out, to say, “Okay, but just for tea and a Dutch cookie.” And then ask the person questions. You can ask them what they want to do with their life, what interests them, what books they read, what authors they like. You want someone who is interested in the same things as you or who is interested in something even more interesting. This way I couldn’t let anyone take control of me and I didn’t feel obligated to do anything. And finally, at my 38th tea, I found a great man. To be honest we didn’t have tea we went out to eat but I had met him before and talked to him a lot. I needed someone who could save me because I always went too far. The man I chose saved my life five times.

Wrap dress by VALENTINO. Kitten heel boots with decorative clasp, by JIL SANDERPhotos: Ned Rogers, Styling: Dena Giannini, Hair and Makeup: Roberto Morelli, Manicure: Mo Qin