Friday, December 4, 2009

my idol on madison

isabella rossellini was always the woman i wanted to be. when i grew up the models of the day were christie brinkley and cheryl tiegs - 2 women i couldn't relate to less. blond hair, one with a big smile, the other with thin lips, both 9 feet tall with vacant stares. yes, there was also the brown haired, ethnic looking janice dickinson. but seeing her recently on i'm a celebrity, get me out of here erased all good feelings i'd ever had.

but isabella rosselinni was the whole package - smart, creative, philanthropic, dated quirky men, acted in quirky movies. i loved her in blue velvet, white nights and cousins.  she also had brown hair and eyes, a round face, big lips. she cut her hair short, i cut my hair short. she wore red lipstick, i tried red lipstick. she was my epitome of a woman.

the reason i bring up isabella rossellini is because i saw her on madison avenue today. walking with a couple of shopping bags, she hailed a taxi. without a stitch of make up, this woman who is 57, was gorgeous. i honestly had not thought about her in many years, but seeing her reminded me of who i was when i first found her. a person in their 20s trying to fit in, stand out, make a life - brown hair and all.

wwcd:  it can be very comforting seeing the people who left a mark on us

1 comment:

  1. It also seems that the quality most admirable in her remains vivid in her now -- that beauty is not skin deep, that being who she is continues to evolve and fascinates us. How lovely that you saw her on the street. A nice reminder of your own personal iconography.

    Rosselini is remarkable and beautiful! Obviously her beauty and connections gave her a way to success in her work life that not many of us would have, but she deserves full credit just the same.

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