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Beauty has nothing to do with standards set by others
Zoey Xinyi Gong left Shanghai alone at sixteen. Today she practises Chinese medicine food therapy and says beauty has nothing to do with anyone
Text: Irène Schäppi
Photo: Peter Meister
Carmen Meier-Meister
At sixty, on a street in Zuoz, a photographer working for Swiss Tourism stopped a woman she didn’t know and asked to take her picture. Fifteen years later, Carmen Meier-Meister is walking international runways, still dressed almost entirely in black, and still convinced that being interesting matters more than being beautiful.
Irène
What does beauty mean to you today, beyond age, trends, and expectations, and how has that meaning evolved?
Carmen
Authenticity. Without it, everything feels artificial, put on. Beauty can just as easily be warmth, grace, contentment, bearing, style. When you’re happy, I think, you’re beautiful too.
Irène
In which moments do you feel beautiful?
Carmen
When I can be exactly as I am and do not have to pretend.
Irène
How has your idea of beauty changed over the years, and what influenced that change?
Carmen
Beauty and style are a personal interpretation. I found my style a long time ago; it’s timeless. I have outfits I bought twenty years ago that I still wear. Style lets you express how you feel. These days I wear almost exclusively black, simple and minimalist.
Irène
Which experiences or influences have most shaped your relationship with your body?
Carmen
Aesthetics, in everything. I have a passion for fashion, art, design and photography. Years ago, I was often in Florence, in Santa Croce. I would sit there with binoculars, studying Giotto’s frescoes in every detail. And then the Uffizi. The Uffizi, again and again. From there came my interest in minimalism, constructive art, monochromes, then the Expressionists. I’ve gone through them all. Today, art isn’t just a painting on a wall. It’s also an experience that sweeps me away and captivates me.
Irène
When does beauty become work for you?
Carmen
It NEVER becomes work. I experience beauty treatments as pure wellbeing. Before I leave the house, I take a quick look in the mirror and check my entire outfit. Everything simply has to be right. The same applies to skincare. For twenty-five years I ran my own institute for cosmetics and body care, so I know that world inside out. But age comes whether you like it or not. I do not want to fight it, and I feel no need to wage war against it. All I can do is be deeply grateful for my health and for all the privileges I have.
Irène
Which beauty or self-optimisation habit do you question today?
Carmen
This all-encompassing uniformity. Everyone wants the same lips; everyone does their make-up the same way. I find this template version of beauty desperately boring. What people sometimes do to themselves through cosmetic surgery also raises health concerns. When you have your own style, when you’re sure of yourself, you don’t need any of it. I don’t have role models; I don’t follow trends; I just do my own thing.
Irène
What do you feel when you see someone visibly ageing?
Beauty has become less about being beautiful than being interesting.
Carmen
Why the surprise? It is the path we all take. It simply is what it is, whether I want it or not. The best age is the one you are living right now. Be less critical of yourself and accept yourself as you are.
Irène
What goes through your mind when you see faces that look overly youthful or carefully controlled?
Carmen
I wish them more joy and ease. Today it does not have to be beautiful. Today it has to be interesting. That is the difference.
Irène
How have social media, selfies, and filters affected the way you see yourself?
The best age is always the one you are living now.
Carmen
I have set up my social media so that a great deal of positive content comes into my feed. Everything that irritates me or does me no good, I have deleted. It works very well for me; I encounter nothing negative. For younger people, I often find it problematic: all these filters, all these ideals they cannot and do not need to meet. They should feel less pressure to conform.
Irène
Which trends in beauty, wellness, or longevity do you find positive, and which do you think create unnecessary pressure?
Carmen
What I find positive? In beauty, it’s the incredible variety of innovative products. When it comes to wellness, it’s the many ways we can care for both our body and mind. And for longevity, it’s the growing awareness of healthy, mindful nutrition, a positive outlook on life, and our excellent healthcare system. What weighs on me? The culture of excess and the illusion that we have to live up to whatever beauty ideal happens to be in fashion. Wouldn’t it be better to be strong than to chase every new trend?
Irène
What role do visibility and public recognition play in your relationship with beauty?
Carmen
I never sought the spotlight; I became a model by chance. Today I embrace it. My work also has a mission to encourage women my age to be more confident and more visible.
Iréne
If beauty were less defined by appearance, which qualities would matter most instead?
Carmen
Every person has something beautiful, whether it is their charisma, their attitude, their individuality, or their authenticity. Today, beauty isn’t the goal. What matters is being interesting and expressive. That’s true beauty. And being real is better than being perfect.
This interview is part of the Super Flattering Index, an ongoing exploration of beauty today.
