Born on Christmas day in 1968 to a Danish father and Peruvian mother, Helena Christensen won the title of Miss Denmark when she was 18 years old and then went on to compete in Miss Universe before moving to Paris to pursue her modelling career. Within days, she had secured a Chanel advertising campaign and, along with Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista, became one part of the Nineties supermodel phenomenon. Today, Christensen is a fashion designer and retailer, mother and photographer. She has also launched her own haircare range called Model.Me in association with Toni & Guy.

Of all the shows, John Galliano’s are the most memorable. They were more like extravagant cabarets than normal catwalks. We were Russian refugees or glamorous harem women, and the clothes were so extraordinary and so out of this world that, when you were in the dress and had the hair and make-up done, you were that other person. It could be very intimidating, but you went out no matter what.

I have collected weird, obscure, beautiful and curious objects all of my life. So, after a lot of talking about it, my Danish friend, Leif Sigersen, and I decided to pull our stuff together and open Butik. But we didn’t have a business plan or consideration for how hard the retail business really is. We ended up having to get a manager, who thought we were totally crazy.

But we’ve learnt from each other – our manager is a bit more impulsive now and we’re more prepared. We had the same situation with our fashion label, Christensen and Sigersen. Our manager was like: “Oh my God, you guys have done it again.” But you need to have dreams.

I’ve never had anyone tell me that I needed to change my body but there are always moments when people think that you aren’t beautiful enough. But this little French agency was crazy enough to give me a chance back in 1986. I still had baby-fat, a horrendous leftover perm, fat apple cheeks and big bushy eyebrows. But, I suppose, back then, girls were valued for their originality. It was about being different and versatile.

I didn’t realise what a huge effect the supermodels had. I was just living my life and working every day. There wasn’t time to step back and see what was going on. Now, I realise how much of an impact we had. Amazingly, there wasn’t any competition. We were just a handful of girls on this crazy journey so, more than anything, we supported each other. I’m just grateful I got to experience modelling on that level.

Yes, I have had catwalk disasters. You turn completely red and sweat profusely. It sounds like nothing, but it’s not funny when your shoe falls off and you have to drag it behind you because it’s still attached to your foot. Or when your dress opens and your boobs pop out. I have worn corsets that were so tiny I thought I was going to drop into the audience. And then there are the times backstage at Paris Fashion Week when three little old women are trying to zip you up in a dress so tight that it cuts your flesh and you start bleeding and you sweat even more. They send you out on the runway and you can feel the drops running down your face. There are bigger problems in the world but, right then, when you’re in it, it’s no fun.

I would have understood if Toni & Guy had come to me and said: “Do you like these products and want to put your name to them?” But they asked me to choose everything – the scent, the ingredients, the texture and the packaging. They kept sending packages over and, when they arrived, I ran straight into the shower, tried them and then ran back to my computer to let them know what I thought. I’m a low-maintenance hair person, I don’t even own a blow-dryer, so my range is about not fussing too much, not styling too much and just having healthy, natural-looking hair.

My main interest is photography – the clothes, the shop and the modelling aside. When you work behind the lens you don’t have to consider any limits. In retail I have to think about finances, and when I model there are always people directing. But with photography, I work to my own agenda – it is where I feel most liberated.

Model.Me is available at Boots and Toni & Guy; www.modelme.com, priced from £5.99

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