In town to celebrate the opening of the OMEGA boutique in The CD Peacock Mansion in Oak Brook, supermodel, OMEGA ambassador and former Michigan Avenue cover star Cindy Crawford sat down with Modern Luxury for an intimate one-on-one chat. From reminiscing about her days working with late Chicago photographer Viktor Skrebneski to finding happiness in work/life balance, here’s what the ageless DeKalb native had to say.
Welcome back to the Chicago area! So 10 years ago you were on our cover—Michigan Avenue November 2014—and our mutual late friend, [legendary photographer] Victor Skrebnesi interviewed you. Could you speak to what that relationship meant to you personally?
I wrote about it in my book that Victor was, really I guess, my first mentor in the business. And I think I said he was like a tough but excellent teacher. I learned about the job and the art of modeling from Victor. First the job, which is like, show up on time and be prepared. I mean, [that’s] Chicago. In New York, the models can roll in late or whatever. That is not how, at least when I was modeling in Chicago, that’s not how it was. And then the art of it, really understanding like the job of a model is to sell the dress or the bag or the watch. It's not about you. So it's like understanding clothes, like what is this dress about? Oh, it’s about the full skirt. Okay. How do we tell that story? Or, oh, this swimsuit’s about a plunging neckline. How do we tell that story? And I definitely credit Victor with being such an excellent teacher. We definitely had our, we had a little bad breakup when I left Chicago, because he kind of said 'Either you stay here and work with me every day, or I’m never working with you again.’ And I thought he was joking, but he was serious. But we made up, which is the great part of the story. I came back to shoot with him when I was, I don't know, maybe 10 years after that, or 15 years. And then I came back [because] they were doing a documentary on him that sadly has not come to fruition. But I got interviewed for it, and that was the impetus for me going back to the studio. And it was such a sweet reunion because I think we were both like old enough to appreciate what we had brought both brought to each other, and be happy. Like, I don't know. It was, I was so happy to have had that with him before he passed because it really felt like a full-circle, coming-home moment for me.
Taking part in the ribbon cutting at the CD Peacock OMEGA boutique were OMEGA US Brand President Arnaud Michon, OMEGA Ambassador Cindy Crawford, CD Peacock Vice Chairman Steven Holtzman and CD Peacock Vice President of Top Client Engagement Qi Holtzman.
See Also: Our Interview With Makeup Legend Bobbi Brown
In that interview that you did for Michigan Avenue with Victor, you mentioned a trip you had taken with OMEGA to Peru. And I was interested in that because clearly you have history with this brand. How did you get started with OMEGA?
My first interaction with OMEGA was actually just [being] hired as a model to do a photo shoot with Herb Ritts, and we did the shoot, it went well, everyone got along, so they invited me to an event they were doing in Milan or something like that. This was in the nineties. And that went well, and then we started a contract and fortunately for me, my agent, who's still my agent, he was always this guy who wanted to have relationships with brands, not just one-offs. So my first OMEGA contract was three years, and I think I've been with them almost 30 years now. It's crazy. And I've literally been around the world with them, including probably one of the highlight trips was going to Peru. They were partnering with Orbis, which is the Flying Eye Hospital, and going into areas where people don’t have access to—even simple cataract surgery can be life-changing for someone or the children. A lot of them had strabismus, which is cross-eyed, and that's not a very hard or long surgery, but it's the difference between living a normal life and not living a normal life. So [not only does] Orbis provide the surgeries, they train local doctors how to do it, and they leave supplies there. So it was a great; a lot of the work that I've done on behalf of OMEGA has been partnering with different charities in different countries, but that was the most exciting one because we were on the plane and watched it all happen. I took my daughter with me and it was really cool.
OMEGA ambassador Cindy Crawford, CD Peacock Vice Chairman Steven Holtzman and CD Peacock Vice President of Top Client Engagement Qi Holtzman outside The CD Peacock Mansion
Why do you think the relationship has been so fruitful? Or what makes it click or work?
I mean, it's like any relationship, right? I think probably the most important thing is that we share values. And I think our brands align very well. I know they love me 'because I'm very punctual, but you know, it's all about like timelessness in a way and quality and heritage. I mean, OMEGA has such great history and heritage, and for me to be associated with a brand like that works. When they originally signed me, I was more like the fashion person, and that's when originally the Constellation model was getting a little bit of a makeover and showing women that a watch doesn't have to be a utilitarian piece—it can be jewelry. And that's why the Constellation is like a little smaller and it just feels more like a bracelet. Then there was the trend of the gigantic watches, and now we're kind of going back to smaller watches again. And really now no one needs to wear a watch, right?. So it has to offer you something else. It's style, it's how it makes you feel. So I think that's why OMEGA originally hired me, but then it's just evolved and, you know, I show up, I'm happy to be there, we have great memories. Like, I've been on an elephant in India with OMEGA. I haven’t gone to space, but maybe one day (laughs).
So would you say the Constellation is your go-to?
You know, the Constellation is called the Cindy Watch within OMEGA, but currently, my go-to watch is an Aqua Terra, which is a bit more of a chunkier men's watch, and I have it in rose gold and stainless steel with a darker face. That's my, if I just need to throw on a watch, you know, cruising through the airport or whatever. Fortunately for me, I have a pretty good collection of OMEGAs at this point, including some amazing vintage ones. So I get to mix it up.
You seem busier or certainly just as busy as you ever have been in your career. What are you enjoying about this period of your life right now?
It may appear that way [because of social media, but] I’m actually not nearly as busy as I used to be. I feel like I have a really good balance now between work and then time for being a wife and a mother and myself and friends and philanthropy. So I think what I’m enjoying most right now is the balance and having time off. Once in a while, I'll have an afternoon where I’m like, Oh, I don’t have anything to do, wow, that’s so exciting! I usually fill it with something, but it’s still nice being able to choose what to do with my time.
An intimate dinner with Cindy Crawford capped off the celebration.
As a DeKalb, Ill. native, I’m sure you’re aware that we who grew up in northern Illinois love to claim you as one of our own. And I just want to ask, do you still feel like a Midwesterner?
A hundred percent. And I can spot them anywhere. If I click with someone or someone just seems very down-to-earth and easy, I'm like, Are you...?, and half the time they're like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana. I feel like I love the Midwestern qualities in people. I mean, I married a New Yorker, so I love that too, but there's just something about the Midwest that feels very familiar to me.
Back to that interview with Victor: You were doing a lot of reflecting and seemed pretty wise at that time. And here we are 10 years later,
I probably know less now than I did then (laughs).
What do you think you've learned since then?
Truly, I think the older you get the more you realize that you don't know anything. But I also think some of the gifts of getting older, the gifts of time you could say, are knowing yourself and then knowing what you value and then, and then making time for it. I am definitely better now at, for instance, my dad just turned 80 and he was visiting my sister, and I got on the plane and flew to Denver for the night, just for dinner. Even though it sounded like a hassle. But I was like, wait, my dad's turning 80, and I can do that. When my life was busier and I had young kids, I sometimes made different choices. Of course, I had young kids so I had a reason to stay home. But not taking time for granted, I think that's probably a big lesson, and I'm trying to learn—this is my new thing from parenting, I heard someone on a podcast say, whenever you're talking to your young adult kids, you say in your head, Wait, why am I talking? Like, to talk less and listen more, especially in a parent role to young adults who don't want their mom interfering in everything.
Exactly. Last question. What do you hope life is like 10 years from now?
I hope I have it...you know, I'm not one of those people who wants to retire because I love what I do, but obviously it's changed—I'm not doing swimsuit modeling or covers. Sometimes I still get covers of Vogue, but maybe not American Vogue. But I love being busy on things that I care about. So maybe more philanthropy, maybe my skincare line [Meaningful Beauty] will still—we just celebrated our 20 year anniversary, and I have a great team and one of the messages that I love about that brand is that when women feel good about the way they look, they feel more empowered and just leaning more into that. And part of that is like me doing it myself. We are getting older. Yes, you can fight it a little bit, but you can't. It's still happening. And not being afraid of that and embracing the gifts of that, I guess. But that means I gotta do it myself too. So it's good for me too because it makes me be out there in a way that maybe I wouldn’t.
Photography by: Photos courtesy of CD Peacock
