Erin O’Connor: I was the ‘imperfect supermodel’

OHMYGOSSIP — Erin O’Connor says she was an “imperfect supermodel” and her tall frame at age 13 made her feel like a “misfit”. The stunning 35-year-old – who is one of the mentors on new modelling reality show ‘The Face’ with Naomi Campbell and Caroline Winberg – felt like a “misfit” because she was six-foot tall at the age of 13, but being scouted by model agents helped her find acceptance.

She said: “I didn’t want to be six-foot with size seven feet at the age of 13. I felt like a misfit and inclusion was something I coveted fiercely. I couldn’t walk into a room without being noticed. It used to crucify me.

“Then, when I was 17, I was scouted on a school trip to the Clothes Show Live. I felt self-conscious but elated that all my differences were suddenly being celebrated. … I was known as the imperfect supermodel. I was fiercely angular and my features were uncompromising, but somehow I embodied the spirit and ethos of the designers’ work.”

The brunette star is now a source of support to young models joining the fashion industry and believes it’s important to be honest with them.

She added to the new issue of Marie Claire UK magazine: “The models who go on to succeed have to recognise that modelling is a profession, not a lifestyle. Even if a girl is beautiful to look at, if she is lacking in charisma or has a negative attitude, then her appeal is instantly reduced.”