A PERFECT MODEL - italian MODA January 1988 from Donatella Sartorio

A fashion shoot in Paris. And Renée comes simply, because she's one of the few "true beauties". Stylists and advertisers fight for her. Now she wants to change. Movies? She has done, thank you. She dreams to study, and, further, a lot of children

Paris, November, studio Rouchon, 9:30 am. Our photographer, Bettina Rheims, is already here. She walks nervously up and down saying that it´s known the stars are ever in late, and she has another job at 5 pm. We call the agency, incredible, they don't know anything. Stay calm. At 10:06, beauty, tall and amazingly breathless Renée comes. She has discussed with her boyfriend, (just the adored guitar man of Duran Duran John Taylor from Birmingham) because the car didn't start, and then she became nervous and called a taxi, and at least she is here. She excuses a lot, as a normal model that comes in late to the studio.

She wears silver earrings, a very expensive mutton light tobacco shorts, black suede boots tighten to the very long legs designed by Manolo Blanik. A flower. We wish to photograph her exactly this way, but the editorial is for the next season, so we "dress" her for Spring. With the Alaïa body and shorts, with the La Perla chemise, and the Biagotti mini, all those that serves to show her splendid body. She is perfect, calm, she absolutely doesn't make the star, she puts on all those I'm giving, and I like her. Jose Luis, doing the make-up, works quickly on these wonderful blue eyes and the well shaped eye-brows, stresses the lips only a few. Easy, very easy. Eyes, mouth, skin are perfect, not to mention the hair, bright, handy, smooth and silky. But even this, she's still the same, the true beauty we met. Fortunately.

Probably although inside the girl must be something, otherwise at least she could have a pimple of anxiety or even a little of cellulite of worry. But not: when we speak out she's also like this. Surely, she has not the nuclear physic head, but she has well organized ideas. Because when at dinner we mention Katmandu thoughtfully she asks "what is it?", but later she says that she is tired of being a model (she's doing it since she was 17 and now she's 22, and so it could be enough); and being an actress isn't the maximum of her aspirations - very good in the 2 Vanzina films- now she wants to dedicate to study Psychology, Philosophy and Greek Mythology, ( "Do you know what I mean, Donatella?" she asks me).

But first to all she wants to have some children: this is what she is most interested in. Without being married to John, because she doesn't believe in the institution, in the church, in god. But in children she does. She believes in the reincarnation, but we don`t deepen the theme. Zodiacal sign, Taurus, practical and concrete temperament, has already earned very much money just has bought a house with 2 floor at the Rue des Jasmins, in the borough with a little garden and a great terrace, and 4 chimneys in the rooms. She has made several millions. It was as much as a advertising for one day. It has been a good investment. She wanted to study recitation a couple of years ago, because she loves the well done things, but at the moment she wants to have some children. She uses glasses to see, she is myopic and at the moment of the cover shoot I ask her to put them on, and she kindly puts them on and smiles so lovely that I see she doesn´t have any problem with.

A FEW SMOKING AND A LOT OF MUSTARD
At the moment she is trying to stop smoking. She has stopped a week ago and for to not suffering too much she smokes the awful cigarettes she buys at a pharmacy. They have no tobacco and nicotine, made with plants and herbal essences. When she lights the first we all think at marihuana, but no, they are absolutely harmless, but cautious I don't light one. Because she is a perfect healthy girl, she eats meal once a day, more is bad, eats a lot of mustard and cereals and drinks only water. At least, a brave girl who plays to make it great and when she wants with a look like a wizard. And we all believe it.

The TV boys arrive to pick up Bettina while she photographs a star -and now Renée has fun posing as a star- from the fund of the deep gaze attentive and sees how she smiles and makes a twist. Brave Renée, keep on this way, because this way they like it.