Christy Turlington

8 snips

Jan 21, 2026

Christy Turlington, a legendary 1990s supermodel and maternal health advocate, shares her journey from being scouted at 14 to becoming a leading figure in fashion and philanthropy. She fondly recalls iconic moments, like her experiences with George Michael and timeless encounters with rock legends. Christy discusses the power of models supporting each other, her love for Vivienne Westwood's designs, and the founding of Every Mother Counts after facing complications during childbirth. Her insights blend fashion with a passionate commitment to maternal health.

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INSIGHT

Beauty Is Male Gaze, Not The Burden

Christy separates being treated as beautiful from the broader experience of being female under public scrutiny.
She notes male reactions are often animalistic and require cultural teaching to change.

INSIGHT

Collective Power Built Creative Voice

Christy says models gained influence by collectively asserting self-respect and negotiating terms.
Building trust with teams let models participate creatively and shape shoots.

ADVICE

Build Trust Before Speaking Up

Earn trust with collaborators and then speak up; Christy found teams listened after relationships were built.
Participate actively to shift creative decisions rather than accepting silence.

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Christy Turlington Burns is the Founder and President of Every Mother Counts. Christy’s work in maternal health began after she experienced a childbirth-related complication in 2003—an experience that inspired her to direct and produce the documentary feature film, No Woman, No Cry, about the challenges women face throughout pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Under Christy’s leadership, over the past 15 years Every Mother Counts has invested nearly $50 million to support awareness raising, community-led solutions, and advocacy for systems change, with the goal of ensuring that the maternal health journey before, during, and after childbirth is safe, respectful, and equitable for everyone, everywhere.

Before founding EMC, Christy received international acclaim as a model representing the world’s biggest fashion and beauty brands which she leveraged to become a health and wellness advocate. She authored a book about yoga, Living Yoga: Creating A Life Practice (Hyperion 2002), edited the book, Arrival Stories: Women Share Their Experiences of Becoming Mothers (Random House 2022) with Amy Schumer, and served as an executive producer for the 2023 Apple TV documentary series, The Super Models.

In 2025, Christy was named to the inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list as one of the most influential people shaping the future of giving, and she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from New York University in 2023. Christy graduated Cum Laude from NYU’s Gallatin School of Independent Studies and studied Public Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She has completed 10 Marathons on behalf of Team EMC and lives in New York City.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Christy Turlington discuss being roommates with Naomi Campbell, whether George Michael had a crush on Linda Evangelista, and advocating for women’s health.

Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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