Dear Hunter

Supermodel Rachel charms Dubai

By Philip Moore

It’s not every day you get A chance to share the sofa with a Sports Illustrated calendar legend. One of the ‘Dream Team’ no less.

Supermodel Rachel Hunter is up for a chat. Serious stuff too, things like mullets, cars and rugby. Indeed, lots of rugby as her beloved All Blacks from her native New Zealand had just left Europe with their tail between their legs.

“The rugby is sad, sad, sad. We were meant to take that cup home this year,” says the leggy one who is wearing a rather beguiling low-cut dress.

She picks up my accent as being across the ditch and adds: “You guys were appalling in the World Cup. We just had bad luck. And the ref had a lot to do with it (the defeat by France).

“I think the All Blacks have one of the best teams they’ve had in a long, long time. That’s the thing in sports though, it can change like that.”

The nation of New Zealand can rest easily as there will be an extra motivational factor when the Webb-Ellis Trophy is contested there next time. Rachel, who was also a high profile supporter of her yachties in the America’s Cup, will be there cheering her lungs out for the boys in black.

“Hopefully when we get the Cup down there for the next tournament in four years time we’ll have some good luck on our home ground. I will be there for sure. Absolutely.”

Rachel Hunter began modelling at age 17 and rose to prominence after posing as a Sports Illustrated model in 1989. She appeared on magazine covers, including Cosmopolitan and on the 1994 ‘Dream Team’ cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue.

She was paid a reported $1.8 million to pose topless for Playboy magazine in 2004. She also became the face and body of Ultimo, a Scottish lingerie house, famously replacing Penny Lancaster, who married her ex, the aging rocker Rod Stewart. She was replaced by Helena Christensen in November 2005 She’s dabbled in acting, appearing in several independent movies, including 1999’s A Walk in the Park and 2000’s Two Shades of Blue.

Rachel had a brief appearance as a sexy soccer mom in Dennis Dugan’s The Benchwarmers (2006) and also played a sultry, bikini-clad mother in the video clip for Fountains of Wayne’s 2003 song ‘Stacy’s Mom. That’s one of my personal favourites.

Rachel was anything but the diva in Dubai where she was one of the celebrity guests for the GM Style Event (see story over page), chatting to people throughout the night and copping lots of air kisses, despite her height.

The Style Event is a top night though, more than doing justice to the annual original in the US.

“GM does fantastic events. I like what they do,” she tells me. “I own a Cadillac Escalade and I bought it myself, I might add. For me for family and kids and the things I have to slip around to, I think it’s a good car.”

But there’s more pressing things I want to talk about. The sort of thing every red-blooded male knows the long and the short of … the mullet.

The short-on-the-side and long-on-the-back has had more starts than Sea Biscuit. I confess, but not to lovely Rachel, to having had three. Mullets that is, not Sea Biscuits.

“The mullet is not a good idea. It’s not the way to go.”

So what is?

“Well, I was in Boutique One here in Dubai and the guy was running around and he said, ‘women are so lucky because they get to wear skirts and dresses so much variety’, but can’t we get one thing to wear. It’s like, we carry babies, we do all this kind of stuff.

“But with men as far as style goes, I think it’s more a personal thing. As much as I’ve been in the fashion industry, I think style has to be something that’s so personal. Someone can have that individual touch.

“I don’t claim to know a great deal about men’s fashion, but the individuality comes into it all a great deal. I’m not that strong on men’s fashion but there are enough great designers out there for men’s gear. The designers are fantastic.

“But I love black, I think black is amazing and I think jeans are always amazing. But there’s more to that. It has to be the right fit, it’s about choosing the right style, all that kind of thing.

“But the mullet is not a good idea at all. Don’t do the mullet. Don’t do mullets unless you want to get that aged kind of look.”

The supermodel says she tends to pick up on guys’ wrists.

“Men are absolutely fixated on watches.”

Good idea? Bad, indifferent?

“I think that it’s good. I think men should have a variety of watches.”

Let’s move on, or down. Some guys’ shoes can be so pointed the guys wearing them look like hamsters spinner around.

Rachel explains you can defer to the look if need be with the square toe.

“Some of the pointier ones with the square toes are great.”

She then leans over a casts a long, lingering look down towards my legs. Slice of heaven stuff. However, it transpires she’s checking out my shoes which are an Aussie form of cowboy boots, quite well known across the ditch. When she spots them she laughs that old Auckland girl laugh.

So, no mullets, get the shoes right, make sure your jeans fit and keep plenty of black plenty of black in the wardrobe. What else would we mere mortals have to do to have a chance of a second look from Rachel Hunter?

“If you see a great guy it’s chemistry and that’s it.”
She has her own swimwear line, Lola by Rachel Hunter. When you’ve donned the togs for Sports Illustrated you have a fair idea of what beach gear is all about.
She has two teenage children to Stewart, the old crooner, and the couple were rock royalty for years.

“The most ridiculous question people ask me is if I’m mates with Rod Stewart. He’s got his own life going on and of course we have kids. But it’s you know, beyond …We’re adults, you know.”
Do you still date rockers primarily these days?

“No I’m just with my kids.”

Despite the glitz and glamour, the Kiwi supermodel is just like any other mum in that she spends a lot of time talking about her kids.

And no two ways about it, she is tireless in her work for charity, which was what brought her to Dubai for the General Motors Style night which was for the benefit of Dubai Autism Centre.

Particularly salutary is her work as an ambassador to the Born Free Foundation, and she also established the Rachel Hunter Lowland Gorilla Fund.

“I go to Africa, I go to Uganda and do a lot of charities to raise awareness for the endangered guerillas and various other causes. It’s something I am very passionate about. I’ve been involved in this area for years. I continue on working on things like that and other charities as well.”

Any afterthoughts on what blokes shouldn’t be seen in.

“Speedos … no way. Never wear Speedos.”

Boardshorts not speedos?
“I think so.”