She ruled the catwalks at the height of the supermodels in the late Eighties and was once described by the late great designer Gianni Versace as having the most beautiful body in the world. And it seems that time has stood still for Helena Christensen. Now 42 and a mother of one, the Danish beauty looked as trim and toned as ever as she topped up her tan on the Italian island of Ischia this week.
She unveiled her flawless figure as she took a dip in the Mediterranean. Helena showed off her slender frame in a multi-coloured bikini as she holidayed off the coast of Naples with her son Mingus, whom she welcomed in 1999 with former partner, US actor Norman Reedus.
Having maintained a long-standing career in an industry dictated by image, Helena is certainly aware of the pressures of looking good. "It's really intimidating to go on the beach in a bikini," she recently told the Telegraph. "If someone is painting neon circles around parts of your body, like those pathetic tabloid magazines, it makes me so angry.
On the subject of being 'bikini-ready', she added: "Magazines say we need to do all these crazy things in order to look better on the beach. The truth is, work out a bit and get firmer. "Get a bathing suit you feel comfortable in. Try to eat a little less of the stuff you know will make you look less firm and don’t start two days before you go."
With her age-defying figure, the smouldering supermodel is as in demand as ever – she is about to launch a new range with lingerie label Triumph. Her current Italian getaway comes during the Ischia Global Film Festival. Helena is one of a string of celebrities who have attended the eight-day event, including Leonardo Di Caprio, Eli Roth, Sting and Karolina Kurkova.