Carmen Dell’Orefice: Gorgeous Images of World’s Oldest Working Model

Carmen Dell’Orefice is still confident hitting the catwalk in spite of being 80 years old. Carmen is truly an extraordinary woman with a glittering career spanning over 60years in the industry and she is now the oldest working model in the world.

It is interesting to know that Carmen Dell’Orefice began her career at US Vogue magazine in 1946 where she was on contract for $7.95 an hour. During her 66 year career, Ms Dell’Orefice has reportedly graced the cover of Vogue six times and has been the face of 14 cosmetic campaigns. Furthermore, Carmen even served as muse to Salvador Dali when she was just 13. Now, at the age of 80, she’s still working as a model. Especially, the grey-haired beauty is still in demand and this year Carmen Dell’Orefice walked at Alberta Ferretti’s Pitti Uomo show and Adrienne Vittadini’s Lincoln Center presentation. On July 19, 2011 the old model was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts London, in recognition of her considerable achievements and contributions to the fashion world. The university also presented a dedicated retrospective exhibition by illustrator and long-term friend David Downton, showing Carmen Dell’Orefice’s Vogue covers, some of her finest modeling moments, and photographs from her personal achieves.

Ms Dell’Orefice became a favored model of photographer Erwin Blumenfeld who took her first Vogue cover in 1947

Carmen Dell’Orefice, 80 appeared on the October 1947 cover of Vogue, at age 16, one of the youngest Vogue cover models ever

Then she appears in the December 15, 1947 issue of US Vogue as Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Cinderella along with supermodel Dorian Leigh, actors Ray Bolger and Jose Ferrer

Octogenarian Carmen Dell'Orifice is still in high demand for catwalk shows and campaigns

World’s oldest working model looks confident to hit the catwalk

We can not imagine that this image of a 80-year-old woman

Carmen Dell’Orefice has become a stalwart of the modeling world

She had pictured photography legends including Richard Avedon, Irvin Penn, Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson

The grey haired beauty was born to Italian and Hungarian parents

Carmen Dell’Orefice has been married three times and has one daughter

Carmen Dell’Orefice: World’s Oldest Working Model