Renee Simonsen was an ’80s Vogue model who almost married Duran Duran’s John Taylor, see her now at 60

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Renée Simonsen was a famous supermodel in the 1980s, known for her striking looks, including a beautiful figure and full lips.

As someone who keeps a close eye on rising stars, I was really impressed with this Danish model! After hitting the runways for major designers like Valentino, Versace, and Calvin Klein, she quickly became a favorite with fashion magazines, landing covers for both Vogue and Cosmopolitan. It’s a fantastic trajectory, and she’s definitely one to watch!

The 5ft8in wonder also was pals of the A-listers like Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista.

The well-known fashion figure returned to Denmark many years ago and has largely stayed out of the public eye in the US, choosing a more peaceful life focused on writing.

The Daily Mail recently published a photo of Simonsen looking fit and healthy while on vacation, and she is 60 years old.

See how the photogenic beauty looks now. 

Born in Denmark, she worked as a grocery store cashier until 1981 when she was discovered, and her career quickly began to flourish.

She explained to Hello magazine in 1990 that it all started by chance. A friend from school was eager to enter a contest and asked her to come along for moral support.

We were at the event when a talent scout from Eileen Ford approached me about entering a contest called Face of the 80’s. I ended up winning both the Denmark and New York competitions, and then they offered me a contract with a huge amount of money – it felt like a dream!

I was happy at school, but when my contract was unexpectedly extended, I realized this could be a great opportunity for my future.

I initially planned to spend just a couple of years in the US, earn some money, and return home. I was only 17 at the time. But after those two years, I didn’t want to leave – I was starting to build a reputation for myself. Before I realized it, six years had passed.

That same year she was placed the cover of the Danish magazine Fotokino.

The next year, she won the Ekstra Bladet Contest, earning her a spot to represent Denmark at the Ford Supermodel contest. She went on to win that competition in August 1982.

In April 1983, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue, instantly establishing her as one of the leading models of the time.

Being featured on the cover of Roxy Music’s ‘Atlantic Years’ album earned her recognition, as the band was very popular with several hit songs at that time.

She then transitioned into acting for film. In 1985, she appeared in the thriller The Last Shot, which featured models, and in 1987, she was in the comedy Via Montenapoleone. She was also considered for a role as a Bond girl, but ultimately didn’t get the part.

In 1988, she left modeling and returned to Denmark to pursue studies. Initially, she planned to study journalism, but she ultimately chose psychology instead.

She explained to Hello! magazine that she left the company because she found the work unfulfilling. She said it lacked substance and, while not easy, didn’t feel particularly meaningful or valuable.

At first, I enjoyed the work, but it quickly became exhausting dealing with constant physical contact – people touching my hair and face. When you’re paid such a high daily rate – around $10,000 – it feels like you lose control of yourself. I simply didn’t want to be treated like a possession, because nobody owns me. It felt like I was just a doll for people to play with, someone they could manipulate and dress up however they pleased. For a day, they essentially ‘owned’ me and could make me look however they wanted, like a Barbie doll.

Eventually, people stopped seeing me as an individual and started seeing me as just an image. I began to lose touch with who I really was. Suddenly, all that remained was this constructed persona, and it didn’t reflect my true self or my aspirations for the future.

She returned to modeling in 1991, beginning a partnership with Vichy cosmetics. By 1993, she had become the spokesperson for Biotherm cosmetics.

Simonsen was the face of cosmetic brands such as Clarins, Maybelline, Covergirl and Lancel luggage. 

She also appeared in a swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.

She began her career in 1997 as a fashion editor at Asschenfeldts Magasin, a Danish magazine, and later earned a degree in psychology in 2002.

In 2003 Simonsen signed a contract to the French cosmetic company Clarins.

I’ve always admired her work – after achieving so much, she turned her hand to writing wonderful books for children and novels that really captivated me. Plus, she regularly wrote a column for Femina magazine in Denmark, which I always looked forward to reading each week!

She began dating Duran Duran’s bassist, John Taylor, in 1985. They became engaged, but the relationship ended in 1989.

She started dating Danish rock singer Thomas Helmig in the summer of 1997, and they got married in August 2000.

Renee and Thomas briefly separated in 2014 but got back together. Renee has three children: Ulrikke (born 1993) and Jens-Kristian (born 1995) from a previous relationship with Kristian Sandvad, and Hugo, who she had with her husband, Thomas Helmig.

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2025-12-19 18:21