Photography: Rankin

Model Georgina Cooper rose to prominence during the height of the Cool Britannia wave in the mid nineties. A regular collaborator with photographer Corinne Day, Georgina’s look drew comparisons to American model Lauren Hutton, and she was a favorite of designers and editors alike. She featured in the pages of edgy magazines such as The Face as well as gracing the pages of American Vogue. I caught up with her from her home in London to talk about her time in fashion.

Tell us about how you got into modeling.

I got into modeling when I was 13 when my mum entered me in the Elite Look of The Year contest in 1992—I placed third in the competition—it was an amazing experience and it made my mum and dad very proud of me.

You worked with Corinne Day a lot during her early days. What was that experience like and were you aware how influential the work became?

I started working with Corinne Day when I was 15. I went to her flat to meet her and Tara Hill. Corinne really loved my look—she particularly loved the gap in my teeth—and she liked my personality too. The following week we did our first shoot for Ray Gun magazine. It was an amazing time—we all had so much fun—and Corrine was brilliant to work with. I was so young at the time I didn’t really understand how influential the work we were doing was until I got older and people would compliment me on the work we did together.

In the mid nineties Cool Britannia was all the rage. What was that time like for you in fashion?

The 90s Cool Britannia period was very cool as it was very much about being yourself. The shoots we did were quirky—but very natural—and most of us had very unique looks.

How did you handle your success?

I handled my success very well. I’m just a South London girl who enjoyed traveling the world. I’m a very grounded person and I’ve remained that way my whole life.

What are the memorable moments from the height of your career?

I had so many memorable moments from my career, it’s very difficult to pinpoint just one.

In hindsight, what advice would you give to your younger self?

If could go back and give myself one piece of advice it would be to invest. I’d also tell all the new models starting out in this industry to do the same thing too.

What did you discover about yourself through modeling?

I discovered that I’m a very giving person and that I would do anything for anyone that needs help.

What are you up to these days?

I work in the hospitality industry, and I love it because I’m a people person. After I had my son I  just couldn’t bear to leave him alone and I wanted to be there for him. I tried to continue modeling but it broke my heart when I had to leave him for work. I focused on modeling assignments in London but my life was at a crossroads and I decided that Sonny came first.

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