INTERVIEW | DECCA AITKENHEAD

Linda Evangelista: ‘I don’t blame myself any more’

She was one of the world’s most famous supermodels, but a botched cosmetic procedure left her a recluse. Now, at 58, she’s back — and taking each day as it comes

Cashmere jumper, £1,785, Chloé
Cashmere jumper, £1,785, Chloé
CHRIS COLLS
The Sunday Times

A few years ago Linda Evangelista’s son asked her: “Remember when you used to be so much fun? Remember when you used to laugh all the time?”

His mother had become a clinically depressed recluse, sneaking out only at night “when the coast was clear” to walk her dog. Nobody saw her, and no one knew why.

“That was a wake-up call,” she says. “I was like, no more woe is me. I’m going to f***ing fix this.”

Poplin shirt, £805, Alexander McQueen
Poplin shirt, £805, Alexander McQueen
CHRIS COLLS

Anyone who saw her back in 1990 — which was pretty much everyone — thought they were looking at one of the luckiest women on the planet. The Canadian beauty defined the era of the supermodel, electrifying catwalks from New York to Milan and bewitching the fashion