“I am grateful”: Linda Evangelista returns to modelling
After sharing the story of the “nightmare” beauty procedure that left her “brutally disfigured” earlier this year, Linda Evangelista has made her return to modelling for a special occasion in the world of fashion.
On Sunday, Evangelista took to Instagram to share a photo of her upcoming collaboration with Italian luxury fashion house Fendi with her fans.
In the photo, the Canadian supermodel is holding two silver Fendi Baguette bags, wearing a grey top, pink-rimmed sunglasses and multiple pink caps.
“On September 9 2022 Fendi will host a special fashion show in New York City to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fendi baguette … and two years since Kim Jones joined the Maison as artistic director of couture and womenswear,” Evangelista captioned the photo, adding that she was “so grateful” to those involved in the photoshoot.
The collaboration marks the first time Evangelista has modelled after a fat-freezing procedure she had several years ago went horribly wrong, and comes several months after she went public with her story.
After a CoolSculpting procedure, Evangelista experienced Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH), a rare side-effect that she said left her with hard, fatty lumps all over her body.
“To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers’ careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised,” she shared on Instagram in September 2021.
In an interview with People earlier this year, the 57-year-old said she was “done hiding in shame”, having lived reclusively in New York for several years.
"I can't live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn't live in this pain any longer. I'm willing to finally speak," she told the publication.
Evangelista has filed a lawsuit against Zeltiq Aesthetics, the parent company of CoolSculpting, for $50 million in damages, claiming she has been unable to work since undergoing the treatment between 2015 and 2016.
Image: @lindaevangelista (Instagram)