She swears like a sailor, reads hands, and has strong opinions about Instagram face. Amidst Vogue Scandinavia's fifth anniversary party, Paulina Porizkova returns as our digital cover star to talk about her second act with Estée Lauder, the tyranny of comparison, and why growing older is the best thing that has happened to her, eye bags and all
Five years ago, Paulina Porizkova appeared in Vogue Scandinavia's very first video, welcoming our magazine to the world alongside the likes of Elsa Hosk and Peter Dundas. Being her emphatic, energetic self, and as a true child of 1970s Sweden, she brings clogs into the conversation. And so, walking into her digital cover shoot on the same day as our fifth anniversary party, naturally, I asked her if she packed her clogs. “I'd love to buy a pair while I am here,” she exclaims. From across the room, her manager warns her about the limited space in her suitcase. “I'll just wear them on the plane,” she waves him off.
We're in the Residence at Ett Hem, mere hours before Vogue Scandinavia's fifth anniversary party kicks off, and Porizkova looks right at home. She is dancing up and down the stairs wearing a red leather coat, singing along to 1980s tunes in a barely-there jacket on the balcony, and draping herself across a steel counter in the boutique hotel's kitchen in sleek tailoring. Every look on her comes from the Nordic design community this magazine was founded to champion, established names and fashion students alike.
Ice blue pleated silk chiffon dress, €4825. Jennifer Blom. Black polka-dot mesh gloves, €95. Hampus Ekman. Silver stud pearl earrings, €240. Pearl Octopuss.y. Morganite rose gold ring, €43950. Orrling Jewellery. Photo: Freddy Persson
Later, as the sun sets outside of the paned bay windows, our guests line the oak-clad walls of the room. The Champagne in their hands floats forgotten. Instead, they're mesmerised watching a supermodel (in every sense of the word) work. The cover look, a pleated robin's egg blue dress by Jennifer Blom, dances around Porizkova as she moves through the crowd. Here is one of the most photographed faces in the world (and one of the most beautiful faces, arguably) but what strikes me, and anyone who has the pleasure to meet Porizkova, the most is her vivacious, authentic, cut-the-bullshit spirit. She swears like a sailor and is surprisingly willing to not only embrace, but share, every part of herself – her sex life, her insecurities, her unfiltered self. “I wrote a whole f***ing book about it, and I'll probably write another one,” she laughs.