Carol Alt has been working in the fashion industry since she was 18; now at age 51 it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about modeling and the lifestyle that comes with it. In anticipation of the upcoming month of fashion, we asked the supermodel pro for some sound advice to give young girls just getting their start in modeling; turns out, Carol says the most important thing to a successful and healthy career is diet and nutrition. “Half of my career I don’t even remember because I was hungry,” Carol reflected last night at the annual amfAR gala. “I wonder where I could have been today if I had been a little more personable and had a little more energy to do other things than just go to work.”
As we learned the other night at the launch of Model Alliance, one of the most upsetting things about Fashion Week is the lack of nutritious and healthy foods provided for models backstage. Karlie Kloss has taken to bringing her own snacks, while Elettra Wiedemann’s gone so far as to create her own pop-up shop offering healthy options for models on the go. While we’re used to grabbing the closest granola bar for a little pick-me-up between shows, Carol says the best snack to have in your bag is raw milk cheese. “It’s the perfect snack on the run because it’s proteins and fats. Raw fats are great for your skin, they give you energy, and if it’s raw milk then you burn it right off.”
Though unlikely that we’ll find raw milk cheese sitting backstage at NYFW, Carol emphasizes that the most important thing is to know and understand the food that you’re putting into your body. “Food is constantly changing,” she said. “You have to educate yourself so that you can feel good, look good, and have a long, successful career.”
