Photography: Guy Coombes
There can be a narrative around women in midlife. That by this stage, things should be certain. That life should be established, contained, perhaps even a little smaller and quieter than it once was. It’s a version of womanhood that suggests the most expansive and exciting chapters have already been lived.
But for many of us, that version no longer fits. For Rachel Hunter, it certainly doesn’t. People are always asking her where she’s heading next, as though there
must be a fixed answer. As though, at 56, her life should be neatly mapped out or anchored in one place.
Yet the iconic Kiwi supermodel – who divides her time between India, New Zealand, the US and England – has never been one for following expectations and these days, she’s far more interested in seeking fulfilment than fulfilling anyone else’s idea of what this chapter should look like. She is calmer, more grounded and more sure of who she is than ever before.
“Often people expect a plan, but really, there is no plan – I let go of all that a long time ago,” she says, chatting over coffee on a sunny autumn morning at a café in Auckland. She has just flown in from India, and in a few days, she’ll be back in Los Angeles, where her adult children Renee, 34, and Liam, 32, are based. After that, it’s still anyone’s guess.
“There are stages in life where you have structure and you’re settled, but there are stages where those boundaries get broken down and the structures are no longer there – and that’s where I’m at now,” she says.
“It’s very freeing.”
A new beginning
Spend even a short time in her company and it becomes clear that she views this chapter of her life as a new beginning – one defined less by obligation or responsibility, and more by instinct and curiosity. Her children have grown up and her career is different now; catwalks and star-studded events have been swapped for spiritual retreats and yoga teaching. But life is as full and rich as it ever was. If she’d feared her adventurous years were behind her, she needn’t have.
“I think that’s what midlife is. It gives us this second opportunity to literally go, ‘Damn it. What do I want to do?’ It’s an incredible opportunity because it’s almost the opening of new doors. It makes me sad to think people might be worrying that their best years are behind them. What a huge waste of time and energy. If you do that, you’ve just wasted years of potential.”
Finding herself in India
That sense of openness – of letting go of rigid plans and embracing possibility – hasn’t happened by accident. In many ways, it’s been shaped by the years she has spent in India; a place that has profoundly influenced her in almost every way possible. She now spends up to six months of the year there, moving between pilgrimages, retreats and immersive time with spiritual leaders. It’s not routine and it’s a lifestyle that wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but that’s the point.
“Every time I go there, it’s different and that’s the beauty of India,” reflects Rachel.
“It kind of pushes you to where you need some type of teaching. It’s hard to capture because of the vastness of the land, but also its cultures, languages and customs. You’re just kind of swimming in that stream.”
A very different way of life
Recently, she has been travelling with sadhus – Hindu holy men or monks who live simply, guided by ancient spiritual philosophies. For someone whose younger years were immersed in a world of fashion and fame, Rachel’s time in India couldn’t provide a greater contrast. Her belief system has shifted, deepened. She’s thoughtful, more philosophical, shaped by a culture that values reflection and meaning.
There are moments as we sit talking when diners at nearby tables glance over, doing a subtle double take. It might be 40 years since she was first spotted on a North Shore beach – catapulted to fame as the Trumpet girl, before leaving New Zealand at 17 for the start of an extraordinary career – but she remains instantly recognisable with that trademark wild hair piled loosely in a bun, curls tumbling around her face.
Making peace with ageing
Time has softened the edges, perhaps, but she’s still the Glenfield schoolgirl who became one of the world’s biggest supermodels.
“All of it was an accident,” she says with a laugh, reflecting on her extraordinary journey, when she hit global fame both in her career and her eight-year marriage to rock star Sir Rod Stewart.
“But it was amazing and incredible, and I wouldn’t change any of it – even the hard parts.”
As she moves through her fifties, Rachel describes herself as reaching a place of being “uncomfortably comfortable” with getting older. On one hand, she sees it as a privilege. Simply being here, in good health and surrounded by people she loves are things she refuses to take for granted. On the other, she’s only human and like all of us, there are moments when she doesn’t entirely love the changes reflected back at her in the mirror.
“Yes, we see things in the mirror and on Instagram, and we can’t help but compare,” she says.
“Of course, some days it affects you. How can it not? But you have to push against it. You have to remind yourself it’s not important.”
Embracing every wrinkle
Beauty being more than a reflection in the mirror has seen her team up with global brand L’Oréal Paris on a recent campaign to share her experience. She says it feels fitting, given their shared ethos that beauty helps women feel confident in who they are, not just how they look.
It’s a message she connects with deeply. For years, she has felt uneasy with the idea that ageing is something women are expected to fight against.In her experience, the opposite is true. Some of the most striking, compelling women she knows are in their fifties, sixties and beyond.
“Age equals knowledge and wisdom,” she says.
“And that is such a beautiful thing.”
Rachel rejects slogans like “50 is the new 30”, suggesting instead we should never be afraid of who we really are.
“I mean, what does that even mean?!” she laughs.
“Why not be a fresh, gorgeous 50-year-old or whatever age you actually are. You’ve gathered this wisdom, you’ve gathered this knowledge, you’ve gathered all this incredible experience, so why not be proud of that? I am who I am and I’ve earned every wrinkle. I’ve earned every step so far.”
The comparison trap
She recalls a recent café conversation with a woman who admired her hair while lamenting her own thinning locks. It’s a familiar exchange, she tells, one that reveals how easily women turn on themselves.
“We all do it,” she says.
“The comparison stuff is so damaging. It’s that ‘cup half-full or cup half-empty’ approach. We all have things that we find hard about getting older – the crepey neck or the droopy eyelids – but we have to be conscious of it and try not to let those thoughts take over. A lot of the things I used to worry about – the neck, the jowls, all of that – they’re still there, of course, because I’m part of this culture. But when I’m in India, so much of that just drops away.”
It’s hard to put into words, Rachel admits, without it sounding overly spiritual. But the shift is real.
“They’re just looking at you and really seeing you,” she explains.
“They see you as you are – your individuality.”
Beauty is a feeling
Even at the height of her modelling days, she has never been tied down to a single definition of beauty. Yes, someone’s features can be undeniably beautiful – and of course she was surrounded by people who fitted this brief during her career – but her idea of beauty goes far beyond that, says Rachel.
“Beauty is a feeling. It’s the energy someone brings into a room. And the flipside applies too – a beautiful person can become ugly very fast. It’s how they speak, how they are.”
Rachel’s own approach to beauty and skincare is pared back, and uncomplicated, almost surprisingly so. Her mornings begin simply: just a rinse of her face with water followed by a rich, nourishing moisturiser.
“Skin condition is the most important thing for me now,” she explains.
“I’m always trying to get that dewy, plump look.”
That same restraint carries through to her makeup bag, which is notably downsized to a touch of light foundation and one non-negotiable: mascara.
“My L’Oréal Telescopic extension mascara is the best,” she says.
“I’ve used it for years and whenever I go to India, I’ve always got about five in my bag because I’m so scared of being without it.”
Age, she believes, has only reinforced her instinct to simplify.
“The older you get, the more you realise less really is more. The more you’re moisturising the skin, the better it is.”
Keeping it natural
Evenings out – “pretty rare these days”, she admits – don’t call for much more. A soft use of eyeliner, perhaps a touch of highlighter to subtly contour and always a neutral lip.
“Nude, always nude,” she insists.
“At this age, for me, it’s about going as natural as possible.”
Rachel starts each day gently – she rises before the sun to meditate and practise yoga. Exercise is gentle too. She gave away gym workouts and lifting weights years ago, instead opting for hikes in nature and daily yoga practice to keep fit.
“I know we’re all being told we should be doing this or that, but I think it’s best to find what works for you and go with it. You know what feels good and what doesn’t – experience teaches us these things.”
The decision to age naturally hasn’t been a particularly conscious one; it simply feels right for her. Rachel holds no judgement towards women who opt for anti-ageing treatments or cosmetic surgery.
“I respect everyone’s choices on that – we have no right to judge what anyone decides to do,” she says.
“And sometimes I really admire women who’ve gone and had the facelifts or the eyelifts or whatever because they can look amazing, and I love seeing the happiness it brings to some people.”
She’s no ordinary granny
She might live a nomadic life, but family has always been at the centre of Rachel’s world. She’s proud of both her children – Renee is a highly regarded yoga teacher and trained dancer, who splits her time between London, Europe and the US, and she recently spent some extended time in New Zealand over summer. Professional ice-hockey player Liam and his wife Nicole Artukovich, who married in 2024, live in Los Angeles with their two young children, Louie, three, and Elsie, one.
Becoming a grandmother, or “Ra-Ra” as she’s known by the kids, has been one of her greatest joys. Louie is a wonderful ball of energy and Elsie, says Rachel, looks a lot like her late mum Janeen Phillips, who died in 2017. Rachel is the first to admit she’ll never fit the mould of a conventional granny, but she’s deeply connected.
“Someone commented on one of my Instagram posts and asked why I wasn’t at home being a better grandmother,” she says, still incredulous.
“I just thought, ‘What? Do they want me sitting there twiddling my thumbs in case I’m needed?’ It made me realise I might be an unconventional grandmother, but I’m okay with that. I’m still a very present one. I adore my grandchildren and my kids – we’re really close.”
She laughs about what the future might look like.
“They’ll probably have to come and visit me in a rest home in India,” she jokes.
“I’ll be sitting in a chair watching the sunsets.”
Finding purpose after loss
Workwise, Rachel continues to focus on her highly sought-after meditation and yoga retreats, and workshops, which she holds at different times of the year in not
only New Zealand and her beloved India, but also other interesting places around the world.
Rachel has just taken off leading a group on a 12-day pilgrimage around the south of India. After that, she will host a retreat in Sri Lanka in mid-August before returning to her beloved India for another later in September. She regularly posts new retreat offerings on her website.Bringing women together to grow and learn is something she sees as a great privilege, and although she’s leading these groups, she insists she learns as much from the participants as they do from her.
“Yes, I’m teaching them, but they also teach me and so it’s a really great circle to be in.”
Rachel can point to some pivotal moments that pushed her into this bold new way of life – when her children left home about 15 years ago and the death of her beloved mum. These challenges became catalysts for transformation.
“There was a series of events that I can see now were pushing me to do something different,” she shares.
“At the time, it was incredibly hard to navigate.”
Becoming an empty nester was one of the most confronting experiences of her life.
“I felt like a ghost in my own house,” she shares.
“For 20 years, I’d been a mum and as a single mum, when they were gone, it felt even quieter. I’d gone from this constant busyness – toasting bagels for breakfasts, finding schoolbags, driving them everywhere, watching sport, cooking dinners – to suddenly sitting at home thinking, ‘What now?’”
At the same time, she was dealing with a serious back injury that required surgery, alongside myocarditis, a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the heart. Then came further loss.
“My grandmother died. My mother died. It was just one thing after another,” she says.
Turning grief into growth
Many women will identify with the snowball effect that big events bring at this stage, leaving many feeling vulnerable, confused and questioning where they are in life. Rachel is no different.
“I remember thinking, ‘Something is trying to tell me something.’ It was a wake-up call – a moment to really ask, ‘Who are you?’”
And it has been a great learning.
“All these things that come along to kind of jolt us are massive opportunities to grow,” she says.
“And they’re uncomfortable, but they’re transformational.”
In the depths of grief after her mother’s death, she felt an undeniable pull back to India – a place she had first encountered while filming her immensely successful Tour of Beauty television series – to process what she was going through.
It was there she made a pivotal decision: to immerse herself in the world of yoga – not just in the physical practice, but also in its deeper philosophy. Over time, she let go of the large family house, sold many of her possessions and gradually pared back her life. She even gave up her LA apartment as she’s simply not there enough to warrant the expense.
Learning to live with less
Most of the time, Rachel moves lightly through the world, living mostly out of two suitcases – one for winter, one for summer. It’s a big change for someone who
used to have a huge walk-in wardrobe filled with designer clothes, shoes and bags.
“I just don’t need that much stuff,” she says.
“I’ve saved some things for the memories, and put special pieces aside for Renee and Liam, but other than that, I didn’t feel a big attachment.”
Doing things her own way, with low-key confidence, has become something of a guiding principle. Over time, she has allowed herself to be taken in directions she might never have previously considered. Taking part in the Australian version of reality TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! at the end of last year was one such decision.
“It was the first TV show I had done in a long time,” she tells.
“I just decided to be brave and give it a go. And it was great – I had fun. I met some amazing people there.”
It’s a mindset that extends beyond TV or travel. Rachel is unapologetic about the life she has created – unconventional in many ways, but deeply aligned with who she is. Still, she’s quick to point out that her version of midlife isn’t a prescription.
Learning to live with less
Not everyone, she says, wants to spend months in far-flung places or immerse themselves in spirituality. For some, this chapter might mean staying exactly where they are, building something new or simply enjoying a slower, more grounded pace. The shape it takes is entirely personal. What matters – particularly for women whose children have flown the nest – is the opportunity itself. For many, it’s the first time they’ve been able to step outside of responsibility and ask what they actually want from the years ahead.
“We’re all still kids at heart,” says Rachel.
“And when your responsibilities ease, you can reconnect with that – the curiosity, the sense of wonder. It’s about asking, ‘How do I see the world now?’ without feeling like you need to have all the answers.”
That openness hasn’t come without its challenges. There are still moments of doubt – the occasional wobble in confidence, the pull of old ways of thinking. But they no longer hold the same weight. Instead, Rachel has learnt to meet those moments as they come, without trying to control what can’t be controlled.
Doing midlife her way
She no longer worries about how her choices might be perceived. The idea that her path could be seen as unusual or unconventional has lost its hold. Most women reach this crossroad at some point, she believes.
“You hear people at this stage of life selling the family home, moving somewhere new, starting again in different ways,” she says.
“It’s an incredible opportunity, isn’t it? There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
For Rachel, that sense of possibility feels far more defining than any expectation of what midlife should look like. She now moves between places, between roles, between versions of herself seamlessly.
She didn’t set out to challenge the idea of midlife, but in living this way, she inevitably has.
“Things come along and we have to learn to deal with them,” she says.
“You may need to cry, you may need to laugh, but you just have to do it your own way.”
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