Claudia Schiffer: Paris liberated me

Claudia Schiffer says living in Paris “liberated” her.

The supermodel recalled her start in the fashion industry and credited the French capital with helping her shed her insecurities.

Despite feeling homesick when she first moved to the big city, Claudia quickly got caught up in the buzz and excitement there.

Having Karl Lagerfeld as a mentor gave her many opportunities and the chance to express herself through her style.

“[Through my work with Karl] I had a lot of Chanel clothes so was able to play around with new ideas and looks. At one event I wore a Chanel biker jacket over a very short mini dress, a gold belt with charms hanging off it, fishnet tights and loads of make-up – it was all really over the top and fun! I went to a lot of events in Paris, and it encouraged me to experiment,” she told UK publication Stylist. “I was only around 19 at the time, so it was amazing. Plus, living in a big city, it was incredibly liberating to walk down the street, wearing what you liked, and realise that no-one cared. There was none of that small-town mentality. For the first time, I felt I could dress how I wanted – to show my personality through clothes, instead of hiding it.”

Claudia has been married to filmmaker Matthew Vaughn since 2002 and has three children with him, son Casper and daughters Clementine and Cosima.

The model-turned-designer used to put her career above everything, but once she met her husband her priorities changed.

“I come from a big family, and I always wanted to have kids of my own. Before I met Matthew, I worked non-stop. But once we got together, suddenly a whole new world seemed to open up. And when I had my first child, my priorities became completely different,” she said. “Motherhood made me feel, ‘This is what I’m all about.’ You stop worrying. Matthew and I are a team, we make all our decisions together, whether it’s about the children or the house. We’re not divided in any sense.”