PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL WILLIAMS
I first met Beri Smither in the summer of 1992 on the Italian island of Pantelleria, located in the Mediterranean sea between Sicily and Tunisia. I was there for the month of June working for photographer Fabrizio Ferri as his personal trainer. Beri was there as a model for Allure magazine, being photographed by Fabrizio on one of the shoots that happened during the month. Different crews for different magazines would come to Pantelleria every few days to shoot with Fabrizio in this breathtaking location. We all stayed together on the rustic but spectacular grounds of his compound known as Monastero. It was one of the most fun times of my life.
Beri was one of the biggest models in the 1990’s, and worked with the most influential fashion photographers in the business like Steven Meisel, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Arthur Elgort, and Steven Klein, just to name a few. She appeared on the pages of countless fashion magazines that included American Vogue, British Vogue, Italian Vogue, French Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan — on many of those covers too – and was also the face of iconic fashion and fragrance campaigns. And Beri is still working today.
Beri and I ran into each other on the street a few months ago having not seen each other in over 30 years. We got together for lunch and started talking about STYLE of SPORT. Would she want to do a W.O.W! Working Out With feature I asked. As a model still going strong at age 53, I wanted to know how she has stayed looking so great, and what has been the key to her longevity in the very fickle fashion business.
BERI IN AMERICAN VOGUE 1994
Photograph by Arthur Elgort/Conde Nast Collection/Getty Images
So on a perfect fall day in New York City, fashion photographer turned personal trainer, Michael Williams, created a do-anywhere TRX and elastic band routine for us in Central Park — and took the pictures too! Beri and I sat down afterwards to chat about her health and fitness regimen, and how that has evolved over the years to keep her in the game. Beauty is an inside job she shares, and just not about externals. She reveals how coming to terms with the body image struggles many of us face has been at the heart of this fashion icon’s continued success.
STYLE OF SPORT: You have been working as a model for over 30 years. You are in your 50’s now and are as busy as ever. Tell us a little about your health and fitness regimen that has kept you in front of the camera this long.
BERI SMITHER: Let’s start with today. I woke up and my body felt a little stiff. So I said I have to work out. I have to wake up my body. You know, get it lubed for the day, LOL. I was limited on time but had about 30 minutes. I have a gym in my building so I went and did a quick HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout which consisted of warming up with some jumping jacks, high knees, mountain climbers, and then the workout you sort of did when you were a kid at gym class. I time the exercises and give myself 30 seconds rest and then go right back into the next one. I’m very old school. Weights, dumbbells, squats, lunges, all that stuff.
SOS: Is this a workout you just do or you found an app or someone designed for you?
BS: It’s a workout my husband and I made up during Covid. We used to do it in Central Park. He was a linebacker in college so he took some of his football training. I ran Track & Field, and I took some of that training along with exercises I’ve had from different trainers over the years. We just compiled it together like that.
SOS: Give me a typical exercise week for you. This morning you did a HIIT workout…
BS: Yesterday I did barre. I love barre. It’s so hard. It forces me to work my abs, and do those kind of PT (physical therapy) exercises that are boring as heck. I have to be careful because I have scoliosis, but I know how to move so I don’t aggravate it. I’m also fearful of injury so I’m very body aware. There are certain moves and stretches I don’t do.
SOS: I’m dealing with similar although different issues with my back. I have stenosis so I’m very careful about how I move as well. But you have to keep moving.
BS: Absolutely… And I bike everywhere.
SOS: You’re originally from Oregon. When did you come to NYC?
BS: I arrived around 1991-1992, but I went to Paris first for two years.
SOS: How did you get started modeling?
BS: All through school people would tell me I should model and I started looking into it. I loved the business. I loved glam. I loved pink lipstick and blue eye shadow in the 80’s. I had Christy Turlington and Renee Simonsen on my wall and dreamed that could be me. There was a modeling agency in Portland, OR., about 45 minutes away from where I was from. My stepdad was the insurance agent for the agency and we just went in one day. I started doing test shoots. I got a book together. I started doing department store jobs. Bigger markets would come and scout. I was discovered. So while my high school class was walking in their graduation, I was flying to Paris.
SOS: Wow!
BS: And I was very happy about that!
SOS: I guess you were ready to get out of there. Starting in Paris seemed to be what models did back then. Photographers too.
BS: They still do, but it had a lot more power. This was film, it was not the digital age. There was no social media. It was all about tear sheets. It was before celebrity took a lot of our work, before Hollywood started selling makeup, perfume, cosmetics. It used to be just models. It was very efficient to be in Paris. You had Spain next door, you had England, you had Germany, and each of them had an Elle, a Marie Claire, and Vogue. You would just do all this editorial and come back to the United States with this incredible book, and here we only had one Vogue, one Marie Claire, and one Elle. You had collateral and the agents had leverage because you had so much in your book. There was no interference. No Instagram, no TikTok. It was just, ‘Oh, she did all these amazing stories with all these amazing photographers? Guess what L’Oreal, she IS worth it!’
SOS: When you were in Paris doing fashion, did you have to have a certain physique? What were you doing to attain or maintain that?
BS: By nature I’m not a waify thin gal. I have more of an athletic build.
SOS: Which was not the thing in the 90s. I remember the “waifs” and you came up in that era.
BS: And then it became “Heroin Chic”.
SOS: God, how awful when you think of it now. The term was accepted back then.
BS: It’s a very sad narrative to glorify that.
SOS: Especially when many models became addicted to drugs. I remember in Pantelleria you looked normal. You weren’t emaciated or anything. You looked great.
BS: Because by nature I’m not super thin and those girls were. But I have drugs and alcohol in my story and I would always tell people that I could do cocaine and not eat for a week and would still be a size 4-6. So sorry guys, this is it.
SOS: OMG that is too good!
BS: Luckily I had two amazing model agents in the beginning of my career. One was in Paris named Eva Delorum and one was in New York named Michael Flutie. I was with Eva for just two years, but I was with Micheal for two decades. They both really believed in me and I always felt like they were on my side. They were my support team when I wasn’t having the best thoughts about myself. “Stop worrying about fitting the clothes”, they both would say. “They are going to make the clothes for you.” Their belief in me helped me believe in myself.
SOS: Were you ever in a situation where you were on set and somebody said or you overheard, ‘Oh, she’s too big’?
BS: Yes, Italian Vogue. I was shooting with Carla Bruni actually, and had one of the editors grabbing at a little part of my stomach. I knew what she was thinking. You just internalize it as a model, but it is there. It creates anxiety, and acting out to beat nature. All of the comparing, and trying to be a certain body shape and size that was in my head did lead to destructive behaviors with food, a.k.a. eating disorders. And eating disorders for me were already in my life.
SOS: Let’s talk about that.
BS: I did not have an eating disorder as a result of modeling. At age 14 I was already binging and restricting. Going up and down with my weight. The modeling industry was just that impetus to turn the volume up.
SOS: Were you working out at this time?
BS: I think I would go for a jog outside. The exercise journey started later. I remember the first time I stepped on a treadmill was in New York. When I was in Track & Field we didn’t have treadmills.
SOS: And how did that fitness journey evolve?
BS: I’m 53 years old and I can categorize the journey through each decade of my life. 20-30, 30-40, 40-50 years old. From age 20-30, I’m struggling with my weight. I’m gaining weight. I’m not feeling thin enough for my job. I’m losing weight. I’m starving and depriving and exercise is right in there with it. Let’s work off the binge. Let’s over jog. Let’s drink water all day. Let’s take a diuretic and all of that. It was very overwhelming and there wasn’t a lot of peace.
SOS: I can relate having struggled with my weight for many years.
BS: From age 30-40 it started to get a little better. I started to accept that my body is what it is, but I was still playing games with food. Trying to be a certain weight and size and shape. Inevitably it would backfire. From 40-50 I just got to a point where I surrendered and accepted that I have the affliction of a disordered eater and that’s okay. There is awareness and acceptance and action. With acceptance you can take some action. As soon as I started doing that and just trusting that process, I made room for intuitive eating. All I have control over is feeding my body well and exercising sanely. Then the external results are not left up to me. That narrative and that realization is where I am today.
SOS: Do you think your body image now has to do with the different kinds of jobs you are doing, different brands that want a more realistic body shape. I’m not talking plus size, but not the emaciated physique that was the norm.
BS: I extend no judgement and total grace towards any brand or designer that desires a specific body shape and size for their creations. If they want a very thin frame, I celebrate that. If they want a fuller shape, I celebrate that as well. If I live my life validating myself by externals, I’m going to be comparing and despairing until I die. But sure, I can remember when the shift started happening towards a more realistic body shape, seeing a billboard that reflected that, and feeling this sigh of relief. I don’t have to be this emaciated person. It just felt good.
SOS: Do you have any specific nutritional guidelines you follow today?
BS: For me it’s real basic. It’s eating 3 meals and snacks when needed. Once I skip a meal the diet mentality ticks in my head. I’m aware of my triggers and will make up for that missed meal somewhere later in the day. All of this stuff is a process. It does not happen overnight. It’s a day to day journey. The fear around body image and food has lifted, but it took a lot of time and outside help, therapy and spirituality, trial and error. I feel very blessed to be where I am today.
For Bookings contact: New York Model Management Instagram: @BeriSmither
Fashion Credits: On Beri, Nike Universa Leggings, Nike Storm Fit Swift Running Jacket, Nike Running Division Long Sleeve Top; On Claudia, Love & Sports Women’s High Rise Leggings with Side Pockets; Arc’Teryx Kyanite Baselayer Zip Neck Top, Patagonia Down Sweater Vest, Nike Pegasus 41 Running Shoes
