Isabella Rossellini has confessed that she would love to model, but that the fashion industry today has no room for women her age.
The 60-year-old - who was the face of Lancome for 14 years until she was famously dropped days after her 40th birthday for being 'too old' - told the Huffington Post: 'I wish to model today, but there are no models who can work [in their] sixties.'
The mother-of-two also explained that the fashion industry has changed significantly since the height of her career in the Eighties: 'It became much bigger,' she said. 'There is a lot of attention paid to fashion that wasn't before.'
Young at heart: Isabella Rossellini, 60, has opened up about her disappointment in the fashion industry. 'I wish to model today, but there are no models who can work [in their] sixties,' she said
Modern times: The actress, who was the face of Lancome for 14 years, said the fashion industry has changed since the Eighties. 'It became much bigger. There is a lot of attention paid to fashion that wasn't before'
The daughter of the late Italian film director Roberto Rossellini and Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman began her modelling career at the age of 28, when she was photographed by Bruce Weber for British Vogue.
During her tenure as the face of cosmetics brand Lancome, Ms Rossellini was reportedly the highest-paid actress in the world, with a contract of $2million a year.
But the company abruptly let her go just six days after her 40th birthday, hiring three younger models, including the 33-year-old actress Juliette Binoche, in her stead.
'There is a lot of attention paid to fashion today that wasn't before'
'They sent me so many flowers on my 40th birthday, it was a morgue,' she said in 2002, according to Vogue. 'I knew I was dead. They said, "Be grateful Isabella. You're lucky you lasted so long in the business."'Now, the multihyphenate philanthropist and author - who is also well-known for her role in David Lynch's 1986 film Blue Velvet - lives in Long Island, New York, and is involved in training guide dogs for the blind.
And this is not the first time she has expressed her dismay at the fashion industry's perception of her as 'too old' to get work.
Iconic spokesman: The daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini was the face of Lancome for 14 years, until the brand famously dropped her in 1992 - just six days after her 40th birthday
'I had a very long career,' she said. 'Now that seems to be rare.'
Today: Now, the mother-of-two resides in Long Island, New York, and is involved in film as well as training guide dogs for the blind
She continued: 'It's even true of actors. The celebrity culture has collapsed your moment of success to four, five, six years - then you're passé. I don't know what the problem is.'
She explained that she feels there is an 'ageism' in fashion and Hollywood.
'I'm dying to see Diane Keaton or Sissy Spacek more,' she said. 'And we don't see them as much.'
Now Ms Rossellini's 29-year-old daughter Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann has followed in her model mother's footsteps, embarking on a career which, incidentally, was also initiated by photographer Bruce Weber.
The New York City-born model signed a contract with Abercrombie and Fitch at the age of 18, and has since done campaigns for Bill Blass, Ferragamo and Lancome, her mother's old stomping ground.
Despite her feelings about the changing industry, Isabella Rosellini said she is 'delighted' that her daughter is a model.
'It's the perfect job for a young woman,' she told TIME. 'Yes, you have to be thin, but you learn about style and aesthetics. You travel the world. It exposes you to many cultures.'
She added: 'Being a model is almost like going to finishing school, but less boring.'
Ms Rossellini's latest project is performing in Mammas, a film series depicting the mothering roles of various creatures in the animal kingdom.
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