Linda Evangelista Graces the Cover of British Vogue with Help from Tape and Elastic

Welcome back, Linda Evangelista!

The model is gracing the September issue of British Vogue, marking her first magazine cover in a decade and her first after a cosmetic procedure left her disfigured.

The 57-year-old opened up to the magazine about her return to the spotlight, saying, “Am I cured mentally? Absolutely not. But I’m so grateful for the support I got from my friends and from my industry… You’re not going to see me in a swimsuit, that’s for sure. It’s going to be difficult to find jobs with things protruding from me; without retouching, or squeezing into things, or taping things or compressing or tricking…”

It was also revealed that makeup artist Pat McGrath drew her face, jaw and neck back using tape and elastic.

“That’s not my jaw and neck in real life — and I can’t walk around with tape and elastics everywhere. You know what, I’m trying to love myself as I am, but for the photos. Look, for photos I always think we’re here to create fantasies. We’re creating dreams. I think it’s allowed. Also, all my insecurities are taken care of in these pictures, so I got to do what I love to do.”

Evangelista previously claimed that undergoing CoolSculpting five years ago had left her “brutally disfigured,” and she told British Vogue how she heard about the procedure.

“Those CoolSculpting commercials were on all the time… They were speaking to me. It was about stubborn fat in areas that wouldn’t budge. It said no downtime, no surgery and… I drank the magic potion, and I would because I’m a little vain. So I went for it — and it backfired.”

Linda added, “If I had known side effects may include losing your livelihood and you’ll end up so depressed that you hate yourself… I wouldn’t have taken that risk.”

She recently settled a lawsuit with Zeltiq Aesthetics, the company behind CoolSculpting.

Zeltiq told British Vogue in a statement, “We are pleased to have resolved this matter with Ms. Evangelista. Our focus continues to be on empowering confidence by providing safe, reliable aesthetics products and services backed by science. CoolSculpting is an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment for visible fat bulges in the nine areas of the body.”

Linda’s Vogue cover, available via digital download and on newsstands August 23, comes weeks after she appeared in a new Fendi campaign.

In July, she shared a photo from the shoot, writing, “On September 9 2022 @Fendi will host a special fashion show in New York City to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the #FendiBaguette, designed by @silviaventurinifendi, and two years since @mrkimjones joined the Maison as Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear. #Fendi.”

Evangelista added that she was “so grateful to” everyone involved.