‘You definitely felt disposable’: models – one 27, one 62 – discuss Botox, weight loss, creativity and the threat of AI

Modelling has changed hugely over the decades. Two models from different generations discuss the highs and lows of the industry, from the joy of travel and dressing up to predatory behaviour and physical pressures

It’s easy to think of models as people whose lives are full of glitz and glamour, who “don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day”. But according to New York-based Danielle Mareka, 27, and 62-year-old Dee O, who lives in London, the reality for most models is a constant hustle to get noticed.

That’s not to mention keeping up with the fashion world’s changing landscape: since O began modelling in 1983, the internet and social media have transformed the way the industry operates. And models are now navigating innovations such as AI models appearing in Vogue and the impact of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs on the sector. O and Mareka met to discuss their careers past and present.