Model mothers are passing on their talents and now their daughters have followed in their footsteps - straight down the catwalk, writes Anna Hunter
According to an ancient Chinese proverb, ‘There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it’. I think we can safely say that Yasmin Le Bon definitely has it, as is evident in the new Monsoon Heritage SS13 campaign fronted by the renowned English-Iranian model and her daughter, Amber.
Shot in Rajasthan, the location of Monsoon’s original 1974 collection shoot and the origin of many of the brand’s block-printed fabrics and embroidered textiles, the campaign is a heady, exotic celebration of the high-street label’s forty years in the business. With Yasmin and Amber looking eerily sibling-like, it’s hard to believe that Yasmin herself has a thirty year career behind her. Just as Monsoon are still doing things like they used to, it seems that Yasmin has followed suit, passing down her heritage in the form of exceptionally good genes to her daughter, Amber.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that this mother-daughter duo has combined forces in the name of fashion. Amber, now a well-known model in her own right, made her catwalk debut in her mother’s arms at a Chanel show in 1991. Around that age, we Glossies were probably rolling around in a ball pit or feeding the dog Playdough.
We’ll give ourselves and our mothers a break here; we all receive and pass down something positive and invaluable from our mothers and grandmothers before us - it’s just that some mothers pass down physical perfection. Take the Crawford family, one of these traits is, as luck would have it, killer cheekbones; as demonstrated by a wholesome Mother’s Day shoot for the American label JCPenney last year featuring Cindy with both her mother and daughter.
Other examples of mother-daughter knockouts include the gazelle-like Jerry Hall posing with her equally exquisite model daughter Georgia in campaigns for both H&M and The Sunglasses Hut, and the recent London Fog AW 12/13 imagery featuring the Victoria’s Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio playing with her adorable four-year-old daughter, Anja. Über-models Stella Tennant and Natalia Vodianova have also appeared in shoots with their beautiful broods. Whether these genetically blessed offspring have picked up a trick or two from their mothers, or whether they are simply having the time of their lives, there’s no doubt that most of them are naturals.
Amber, Georgia, her sister Lizzy and the achingly stylish Julia Restoin-Roitfeld are just a few of the dazzling daughters to quite literally follow in their mothers’ footsteps, modelling alongside their mums and proudly waving the family flag. Working it both independently and together, these mother-daughter teams prove that becoming your mother is certainly not something to dread.
Whatever opportunities or trials come your way, you can bet that your mother has seen it all before and come out on top. Uniting to celebrate your likenesses and differences is what Mother’s Day is all about, and even if Mario Testino doesn’t curate your snaps on the day, you can’t fake genuine joy or familial warmth. Just don’t go too far… both Pearl and Daisy Lowe have appeared as the faces/bosoms of Agent Provocateur. Not at the same time. That would be awkward. Some things just shouldn’t be shared; we draw the line at lingerie shoots. Wholesome family time is most certainly where it’s at.
The Monsoon Heritage Collection modelled by Yasmin and Amber Le Bon is available in stores nationwide in April.