I'm Rachel Hunter, and this time I'm on a journey through the Americas to discover more secrets to health, well-being and long-lasting beauty. Natural make-up. That is so crazy great! Beautiful. Oh my God, that's somebody's face. (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS RAPIDLY) This time, it's my most personal tour of beauty yet. I'm in New York City, where my life changed forever 30 years ago,... (CHUCKLES) The Budweiser girl. ...to find out just how much the ideals of beauty have changed. There is a place for everyone somewhere. And what does it take to make it in the Big Apple now? You don't look like you did when you were 16. Don't quit your day job. No! Copyright Able 2017 My first impressions of New York were just, 'Wow!' Like, everything was bigger than life. It was here in New York that I began my international modelling career, when I was only 16. Ford Models saw my picture and came to New Zealand to get me. I was the most reluctant model. I did not wanna leave home. But there was this thing inside me that I knew I had to leave. It set up the rest of my life. Beauty ideals and standards have changed a lot since then, but New York has always been a big attraction for those wanting to look good and feel good. What is your definition of beauty? Of beauty? Yeah. A picture tells a thousand stories, doesn't it? Look, that's definition. You're very sweet. Beauty. There you go. We're gonna get married. You know, when it comes to all different races, shapes and sizes, I mean like, you know, beauty is within everyone. It's not so much the appearance or anything, it's just how friendly you are. It doesn't matter what 'this' looks like, you know? It's always what's in here. 62, and look at this skin! - (LAUGHTER) - Amazing. What does beauty mean for a man or a woman? Yeah... I mean, I like more a woman. (CHUCKLES) I know you like women. What do you use? Moisturiser? Never. Nothing?! Yes. Nothing. Just water. Water, that's it. This is the American beauty, as far as I'm concerned. I mean, you really are. I mean, look, we're both having a fight over it, but I say this is. And it helps if you look like this. Some Americans might believe beauty comes from within, but there's beauty stores, spas, blow-dry bars, salons everywhere. In fact, there's a cosmetic or treatment store for every part of the body ` even the hidden bits. And there's one treatment New York offers I just have to try ` (ZAPPING) Can you feel it? Ow! Yes! a butt facial. Just let me know how you feel. This is about a five, and now we're gonna hit about a six. Oh, you're doing great. How do you feel? I feel like my butt is, like, pursing its lips right now. This is literally shock treatment to my butt. With the electric pulses re-educating the muscles to stand firm. And I've gotta say, it hurts but in a please-don't-stop kinda way. Now you're on about an eight. (LAUGHS) Oh my God. That's amazing. Feel OK, though? Yeah. The range of services at this clinic don't end at the butt. Hi there. How are you? Dr George Liakeas offers treatments to improve sexual health. Sexual well-being is a very sophisticated topic, and it's not as simple as boobs or bums. For a lot of people, the real problem is not having enjoyable sex. OK. The latest thing that people seem to be talking about are PRP ` platelet-rich plasma ` which is called the O-Shot, is taking your blood, spinning it down, inserted inside, to re-inject into your body to encourage new cells to grow, and the cells to be more vibrant, like in previous years. It's very exciting to be around, and it's even more exciting to get people calling, saying, 'You've changed my life.' Who's heard of sexual well-being? But I've found sexual well-being in New York City. Who knew? I haven't still found a boyfriend, though. Oh my God. I think I'll save the O-Shot for another day. As for my butt, if I really wanna see results, I'll have to come back twice a week, for 10 weeks. But heck, that's the easiest workout I've ever done. Spending time in New York reminds me of how much the beauty and modelling business has progressed since I first came here in 1987. I was fortunate enough to be part of the golden era of supermodels during the '80s and '90s. And those days, models were discovered by talent scouts. At 16, I was found on the beach, and somebody wanted to take pictures, and that changed my life forever. In this digital age, prospective models create their own image on Instagram so agencies can find them. But you can still submit photos and videos, just like in my day. So, now for my natural beauty shots. Lovely. Chin down now. And then let's do hands out of the pocket. So, most agencies want someone over the age of 14 and above 5'8". But maybe not over the age of 45. Today's agencies wanna see photos of models with little make-up and form-fitting clothes. Simple, beautiful, natural shots. No Instagram filters, not something that's been altered. And again, I don't know why I'm doing this at age 45. Actually, I'm 46, going on 47. Maybe, actually, if you are 45, put a filter on it. (LAUGHS) Straight ahead. Holy (BLEEP). Are you getting closer? (LAUGHS) Awesome. Of course, now it's digital, you get to the seem the film ` you know, what you've shot ` right there, whereas we would shoot rolls and rolls of film and, you know, we wouldn't see it until it was on the pages of, basically, the magazines. But those moments, when you were made into something that you're not, to me, is what the modelling world, to me, at that time was ` a created beauty. Eyes straight ahead. Yeah, there you go. Some of the agencies would like a 30-second video. Oh, now I really have to get real. OK. My name's Rachel Hunter. I am 47, and I am 5'11". And shrinking. And just regular walk. Not on your toes. Great. Now turn. Just a regular turn. No, um...? No hair flip. I'm so fired from the job right now. Here they are. These are beautiful. You're beautiful. No, thank you! Yeah. You took some amazing shots. I think we're good. I think we should send these on into an agency and see what they say. Hm... Actually, no. I think I'll just show them to my old friends from my Ford modelling days. That'll be a laugh. Coming up ` I revisit my glamourous past. These were very risque at the time. Oh my God. That looks like the disco days. 1 New York was my second home as a teenager, but it's hard to imagine carving out a career here as a young model these days. And would my kind of look match what model agents want now anyway? So, I'm here to meet Joey Hunter. He's no relation, but he was an enormous part of my life when I first arrived here in New York at the age of 17. (DOOR CREAKS) (THUD!) (STIFLES LAUGH) My God. Rachel! It's been so long. Joey worked for Eileen Ford as co-president of Ford Models for over 25 years. These days, he runs a modelling software company. Could you believe how long it is since I saw you last at Ford? Oh my God, how many years ago? Which was '90s or late '80s. Now, you were a young kid when you came to New York. Eileen thought you were an angel. (LAUGHS) And back in those days, we had a certain idea of what was beautiful and what we looked for in a model. We'd love a natural beauty. A girl who was wholesome. A girl who was nice. Girls like yourself. And that has changed. Times change. People's tastes change. The look today, for me, maybe I'm an old-fashioned guy, is not a beautiful look, you know? You find very few girls that are naturally, naturally beautiful. And the competition is fierce because you've got your online sites, then plus you've got all the agencies. New York must have a hundred model agencies, so everybody's a model. Everybody does some work. And in those days, we loved girls like yourself. And pretty, pretty, pretty women, you know? You were the girl next door, and I have a few pictures of... I'm sure you do not remember. I did a calendar. (CHUCKLES) What is going on here? Oh my God. These were very risque at the time. Yeah, no kidding. Like, everything is nearly out in this. Very risque. I look more of, like, a tramp than I do a model here. And I've got a big poster. Rachel! It's a little something we saved from the good old days. (CHUCKLES) I don't know if I have the... Oh my God. (LAUGHS) That's the most embarrassing... The Budweiser girl. (LAUGHS) She was probably underage. (CHUCKLES) Marion Smith was one of Ford's top agents in my day, and truth be known, I was petrified of her. Today, she's vice president of New York Model Management. These test shots I got done today, they haven't been touched, so you have to let me know what you think. Be honest, be honest. I mean, this is pretty. You're a woman. Yeah. Pretty. No. So the full-length, we'll forget about. Yes, we will. This one? I mean, look, you're a beautiful woman at this point. You're not a kid any more. You don't look like you did when you were 16. This picture's horrible. Horrible? What do I get booked for with this? This one. You could do beauty. You can do hair. You know, people will be interested in you. I think what's Marion's saying ` don't quit your day job. (LAUGHS) No! No! You'd be booked as a supermodel. You're an icon. I mean, you always have had a woman's body. Yeah. And that's why Sports Illustrated booked you. Marion, do you happen to have a copy of that workout tape? Oh my God. Not the Sport's Illustrated workout tape. (CHUCKLES) Oh my God. The Super Shape-up Program. I mean, how insane is that? And a lot of the girls at that time did have more of an athletic body. Wow. Such good memories. 20 years. Amazing. Thank you so much. As I get reacquainted with New York, I'm reminded of the irony of that exercise video. It was actually the walking and cycling around the city that kept me in shape. Models hardly ever worked out then, but these days, most of us are health and fitness obsessed. And someone who's living proof that looking after your insides will make you look better on the outside is former-supermodel Carol Alt. Carol was known as 'the face', and no wonder. She was one of the early adopters of the raw food diet. And today she's invited me to one of her favourite New York restaurants to share her beauty secrets. In case you're wondering, Carol is 55. What made you go raw? OK. I tried every diet. Everything. Were you feeling tired as well as feeling bloated? I was tired, constantly had sinus infections, constantly didn't feel good. The energy was running down. And all I remember thinking is, 'I'm 34. What am I gonna be like at 54? Or 64?' Yeah. Seriously, when I changed my diet, I started feeling like my depression lifted, my moodiness lifted, I felt so good in my skin again, and that was only after three days of eating just raw food. The American burger. So this... Ooh, and coleslaw. And the pizzette. And the pizzette. That looks amazing. Oh my God. (LAUGHS) Look at your face! It's amazing, isn't it? Unbelievable. It's got nuts and flaxseed and sage, fresh herbs. You know what? I've travelled all the way around the world and eaten different ingredients, but to come to New York City and have this fresh, organic, raw food taste` I mean, to be one of the most unbelievable things. It's amazing, isn't it? See, the thing about raw food is you've gotta go back to God. It's amazing. You gotta go back to the earth. You gotta go back to the first step ` when it comes off the plant, that's what you want. That's the best thing I've put in my mouth in a long time. (LAUGHS) That's for sure. It's unbelievable. If you don't feel healthy, you're never gonna feel good. You're never gonna feel good in your skin, and you're never gonna look good, because even if you're a beautiful woman, when you lose that gleam in your eye, you lose that excitement, it's over. Carol still does television and modelling work but agrees there's been a real revolution in the modelling industry since the growth of digital media. I think it's a completely different time, and I think it's a completely different look of beauty. For me, the models back in the day were completely natural. They wanted the sporty kind of girl, which is why ` I was a size four ` I could work, because that was the sporty-sized girl. But, you know, as the years went on, it went into heroin chic, and now it's just about being a celebrity. Who has the most followers on social media? People are being hired because of social media. Yeah. It has nothing to do with beauty any more, really. Carol's dedication to staying natural and healthy doesn't end with her choice of food. The thing is you should be able to eat your skincare. Yeah. She's found a store in New York that sells vegan cosmetics, exclusively. So, what are these products made of? Well, everything is plant-based. That is exactly what vegan means. So you don't have to worry about ingesting chemicals and having chemicals all over the face. Make-up should be cruelty-free. We don't need to test on animals and have animal by-products in our make-up. I mean, this is, like, really, really bright. I love that pink on you. My mother used to wear that in the '50s. So I'm like you're mother, but you've gone back to the '80s? I've gone back to the '80s. We're like 5-year-olds dressing up. Oh my God! That looks like the disco days. Or you could go full drag queen. Absolutely. You can't look at me seriously with this colour. I can't, I can't. I knew you'd love this place. I know! (LAUGHS) Thank you. Carol and I grew up in a modelling world very different from today. According to Daniel Saynt from Nylon Media, the 'Instamodel' is the new supermodel. We're not looking at models in a traditional sense where you have to be a certain height, a certain size, build. We're actually looking at girls who are more of the everyday girl. His company matches big brands with talent and fashion influencers, who says are replacing the cover girls of days gone by. And I think what has happened is really a changing ideal of what beauty is, and it's no longer this polished or this perfect, and it's more of this real person, with real problems, with real families, with real experiences, and they share that. And really giving people a sneak peak into their lives. So, can a young model make it without being on social media? No. (CHUCKLES) Honestly not. We've seen models who've left social media, and we've seen their careers stall, you know, where they kind of disappear. And then you're like, 'Well, you're not in publications, 'you're not in magazines, you're not doing covers, like, where are you?' So, anybody can be famous in this world? Some of the highest-paid influencers are making well above some of the highest-paid models. It's amazing. God. You've given us so much insight into this. Thank you so much. Coming up ` I meet some of some of those real women who are taking over some big brands in America. I have been told my entire life, if I work hard enough, I can look like you. And I have never looked like you! 1 My time in New York is showing me some broad changes in beauty. Everyday looks are making the big time, and you don't have to come in a model size to attract famous advertisers. And one person who represents this new, progressive era is fellow Kiwi model Georgia Pratt. She's making it big as a plus-size model with talent agency IMG. So, Georgia. You know, there's this big resurgence of, you know, the plus-size model. Now, there's a debate there too that, I mean, I would be in the plus-size model division as well, because there's a certain, you know, size that... we could be in the same division. Yeah. Within this plus-size division, they've been able to really have quite a broad range of diverse girls, and all of them work. So, there is a place for everyone somewhere, you know? Shows you the diversity of women's bodies and shapes. Exactly. And representing something for everyone, which I think is really relevant now where, you know, everyone's beginning to realise that the world is actually, like, a totally diverse place. OK. So, when did you embrace who you are? I think quite early. (LAUGHS) You know, I already from a child that I was destined to be a curvier woman. Yup. I mean, my mum has a similar body type. But then growing up in the '90s and early 2000s, that was like the fashion model time. So everyone was super slim, and I'm pretty realistic, and I know that's not who I am, so when the whole modelling thing started to happen I did feel very, like, 'Maybe I've got something to say here, 'and maybe I can be that person in the magazine for someone else 'or that representation that I didn't see when I was growing up.' The voice of the world is calling out for diversity. Hopefully we'll see this as an iconic moment in the modelling era. It's such a buzz to meet a New Zealand model doing so well here. And in this new, more open-minded modelling world, it's no surprise that all body shapes can now make a big impression. And someone who's been a driving force behind the movement to change our perceptions of beauty is Jes Baker. Jes struggled with her own body image growing up and describes herself as a fat chick, feminist author and self-love enthusiast. Hey, do you know how to do this? I don't. It's been a long time. (LAUGHS) Jes has spent years promoting body positivity and encourages people to reject the stereotypes most media support. OK. Oh God. No way. I need to do this. Yes. There we go. Oh my God. We're going backwards. OK... Oh no! Oh no! No, hang on. ...going this way. You realise we've become entertainment for these people having dinner. We're meant to be having a serious conversation about beauty, and we've now become the entertainment at The Boathouse in New York City. (GASPS) Oh, there we go. We're doing it! We're doing it. We've got it down! OK. Now we can talk. When did you think that your body did not fit the image? When you were like, 'I don't fit into whatever's being advertised.' I remember fifth grade, Danielle called me 'hippo'. And I think that was when I realised that my body didn't fit into the very thin ideal that we have, even for children, because we're taught simply by watching the television or reading magazines that we're not OK. So the reason that it's so controversial is because I am a fat woman who has decided that fat is not bad, and that I'm OK the way I am, and I'm not interested in becoming that perfect body, and I'm happy. Sorry! (LAUGHS) (THUD!) Whoa! Sorry, guys. We thought it was bumper boats. Today, Jes is one of those fashion influencers Daniel talked about. She was hired as one of the faces of megastore JCPenney's body positive campaign and has over 50,000 Instagram followers. I just did a commercial for a very large company where it was a bunch of fat women... being represented... in a national ad. Like, I would have never dreamed of that four years ago. I was saying, 'Where am I in all these ads?' And now, here I am in an ad. We're seeing inclusivity sell now! So, seeing diverse bodies in commercials is a good thing. It's a good thing. People look at me and they think, 'Oh, well, you should just diet and exercise.' And it's like, 'You think I haven't tried that my entire life?' Like, I've been on diets since I was in fifth grade, right? I have been told my entire life, if I work hard enough, I can look like you. And I've worked hard enough my entire life, and I have never looked like you. And that's OK. I want everyone to know that they are valuable, worthy human beings of love, success, happiness. It doesn't matter what you look like, it doesn't matter what lifestyle you live. Every human has the same amount of value and worth. That's why I do the work I do ` is so that people have the information, so they can know. You go girl! New York has shown me there is no absolute standard of beauty any more. An everyday girl can be the new It girl, and a big following on social media can make you the most valuable model of all. New York has been incredible. To come back to a place that has so many deep, meaningful memories to me, it's honestly kind of reignited a lot of emotions in me. And the idea of beauty was, kind of, really formed here for me, and to see that change, and having models that aren't just size zero, because the public wants it. And thank God for social media. The fashion world and the beauty world had to listen, and therefore we have this array of beautiful women to display what beauty and fashion is in this incredible city. Oh. I've just noticed I've got a missed call from New York Models. Maybe they've got a gig for me. Hello? Hi Rachel. It's Marion's assistant here, from New York Models. I just wanted to let you know that when you came in the other day, you left your denim jacket here. (LAUGHS) Have a good day now. Copyright Able 2017