Agyness Deyn Give up Modeling for Mother Life: ’00s Icon Now

Within the unforgettable period of MySpace and indie sleaze, one lady's face was in all places: Agyness Deyn.

The British supermodel's achingly hip, androgynous look outlined the early aughts — and meant she was quickly relationship rock stars, hanging out with A-listers and getting paid by big trend labels to make their garments look effortlessly cool.

After which … she stopped. In 2012, Deyn grew to become somewhat disillusioned by the style trade and determined to make a transfer into appearing. Now? She's a 42-year-old mother of three who enjoys a quiet life, largely out of the highlight in New York Metropolis together with her second husband, Joel McAndrew. Yup, the girl as soon as heralded as “the following Kate Moss” even drives a minivan — and he or she wouldn't need it another method.

So, how did she get right here? Deyn, whose beginning title is Laura Hollins — she modified it when she began out in trend to face out in a sea of Lauras — was born to humble beginnings outdoors Manchester within the north of England. Her dad and mom, who divorced when she was 12, had been a mailman and a nurse, however Deyn needed extra.

“I didn't actually know what I needed to do after I was a lady, however it was clear that one thing was stewing,” she instructed The Impartial in 2012. “I used to be very sporty — I swam competitively — and I cherished music, the humanities, having a inventive outlet.”

In 2023, she additionally instructed Dazed, “I really feel like from 17 — and even youthful truly, extra like 13 — I had a dream that I used to be going to depart and discover the world.”

And so she did. At 18, she headed south to London to hang around together with her childhood pal, the style designer Henry Holland, and was quickly noticed by a mannequin scout.

“I used to be by no means actually that serious about trend rising up,” she instructed The Talks in 2013. “It wasn't one thing that I all the time needed to do. I used to be simply noticed whereas I used to be out procuring in London, wanting like a boy, and every part simply occurred to me.”

At first, Deyn was only a common, jobbing mannequin choosing up work right here and there, however when she signed with a brand new agent in New York, out of the blue she was sizzling property, catching the eye of manufacturers like Burberry, Mulberry and Vivienne Westwood. Her signature look — darkish brows, bleached hair, common aura of “I don't care” — upped the edgy credentials of those long-established trend manufacturers and made her a real icon. “The Agyness” — her quick, uneven, pixie minimize — was one of the crucial sought-after and disastrously imitated hairstyles of the period, even in case you have lengthy since untagged the pictures to show it.

“I loved modelling,” she instructed The Impartial in 2012. “Oh, God, I cherished it. Being 18 years outdated, from Manchester and out of the blue having this new world to discover — having the ability to journey, meet all these completely different individuals and immerse myself in all these completely different cultures — was simply a lot enjoyable.”

She had a blast and was quickly a daily fixture on the worldwide celeb scene, partying up a storm in all places from basement golf equipment in East London to the VIP space at Coachella. In 2008, she met The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. at an awards ceremony, and so they quickly fell in love.

“From the primary date I went on together with her it felt like we knew one another,” he instructed The Guardian in 2009. “Even after I met her dad and mom it was as if I had identified them earlier than. It was fantastically unusual.”

Regardless of their intense emotions — Hammond Jr. even went on file saying he needed youngsters with Deyn — and showing in a Valentine's shoot collectively for i-D journal, they break up after lower than a 12 months collectively. (New York Journal even ran an obituary for the couple: “The reason for loss of life was by mutual settlement, and sources say the Relationship already has been reincarnated because the Friendship.”)

Deyn carried on relationship rock stars till she give up modeling. “It's nice to department out,” she instructed The Impartial in 2012. “I suppose I've stopped modeling formally. I've not carried out any for a great lengthy whereas now. I believe it was about 4 years in the past when my emotions had been altering in the direction of the trade. I didn't hate it, however I used to be craving to do one thing completely different. I used to be on a gradient. It was a gradual factor.”

She additionally instructed Interview in 2013 that she felt she had “misplaced a spunk” for modeling. “I couldn't faux it,” she mentioned. “It was like, ‘I've to determine this out as a result of I can't do it.' I can't do modeling disconnected. And I assumed, ‘What do I like? What do I really like about modeling?' And what I really like is that it's such a inventive course of, with a bunch of individuals, and I needed that extra, which is how the appearing factor took place.”

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Whereas a number of fashions declare ambitions to behave, this was completely different — Deyn was truly good at it. She acquired rave opinions for her stage work and appeared in some small however well-received indie films (Electrical energy, Sundown Music). And he or she reveled on this new life stage.

“For modeling, it's a must to be such a powerful individual in a method — or seen to be a powerful individual, are you aware what I imply?” she instructed The Guardian in 2012. “However in appearing it's a must to get in contact with all of the vulnerability that you simply carry. Once I began doing little bits of appearing I used to be like, that is what I'm imagined to be doing, you already know? Going to this place the place there's this fulfilment in type of like letting go, and in addition that a part of actually getting in contact with your self, to have the ability to perceive a special character, after which painting that to whoever's watching it, and to have the ability to penetrate them in a method that touches them.”

Someplace alongside the way in which, she met actor Giovanni Ribisi — however no one clocked they had been collectively till they grew to become husband and spouse in 2012, with Ribisi's agent confirming that they had “quietly married in Los Angeles.” Whereas lining up on the registrar's workplace, they had been noticed “passionately kissing” and instructed an area journalist from the Crown Metropolis Information that that they had been relationship for some time.

“I all the time maintain my playing cards near my chest,” she instructed The Impartial a couple of months later. “I stay in Los Angeles as of late, and I'm a really non-public individual. That's simply the way in which I roll. My husband is as nicely. We don't socialize on that [celebrity] stage, however by way of recognition, it does really feel very nice when a younger woman tells me that I've impressed her ultimately.”

In 2015, the couple break up, citing irreconcilable variations of their divorce, and so they divided their property (they owned a number of properties collectively). By the next 12 months, Deyn had moved on — and this time, her man wasn't a rock star or Hollywood actor however a hedge fund man: McAndrew.

“I all the time thought that I used to be in love, however then after I was truly in love I spotted that it was completely different to what I assumed it was,” she instructed Vogue in 2024. “And the distinction was that I felt totally comfy to be myself in each single aspect and capability.”

Deyn and McAndrew acquired married in Brooklyn, New York, in summer season 2016, and Deyn threw herself right into a chiller, low-key life. In 2018, she instructed Sunday Instances Type, “Joel's such a dream,” saying she was happiest “seeing household and pals and simply being a spouse and cook dinner.”

Regardless of her newfound love of domesticity, Deyn was nonetheless getting appearing work too. In addition to a pair extra indie movies (The Titan and Her Scent), she picked up her greatest position but in a BBC crime drama, Exhausting Solar, which got here in 2017. Sadly, regardless of a heat reception, the present was axed after one season.

However Deyn had a brand new focus anyway: beginning a household. Her first child was born in December 2018, adopted by two extra. In between infants, she made occasional catwalk cameos, representing her beloved Burberry at London Vogue Week in 2019 alongside Kendall Jenner and the Hadids.

However then got here the pandemic, when Deyn and McAndrew hunkered down in upstate New York with their rising brood. “So quite a bit has modified,” she instructed Dazed in 2023. “However I believe changing into a mom, plus COVID, places quite a lot of issues into perspective. I attempt to stay within the second and never plan an excessive amount of for the longer term the place I may help it. It's about waking up, experiencing pleasure the place you possibly can. “

Regardless of her hedonistic, star-studded previous, Deyn's quiet life suited her. “I suppose I've by no means actually had a way of life that wants repairs,” she instructed The Guardian. “I don't get cabs; I'm on the tube with my Oyster [travel] card. I've by no means actually modified my life-style.”

Actually, maybe when she was modeling, she was appearing all alongside — as a celebration woman and an extrovert. “Personally, I've all the time been fairly introverted,” she revealed to Sunday Instances Type. “It was exhausting to be anticipated to be that extroverted on a regular basis. I believe individuals suppose being introverted is a foul factor, however it's truly fairly a robust method of current. I believe I had simply acquired to the purpose the place I needed to embrace who I used to be.”

That model of Deyn has a extra low-key private fashion too. “I suppose I've mellowed out a bit in that method,” she mentioned. “I gained't be shaving my head once more any time quickly. I gained't be dyeing it blue or pink both.”

Regardless of all of the glamour and privilege her iconic face introduced her method, Deyn has stayed grounded, telling Vogue in 2024, “My grandad all the time mentioned, ‘It doesn't matter if it's the queen or the cleaner, deal with everybody the identical.'”

It's clear she's grateful for therefore many good occasions however simply as grateful that she now will get to choose and select her work and revel in loads of downtime with the individuals she loves, together with outdated pals like Holland and her sister, Emily, a wellness coach additionally primarily based in New York.

Now, when Deyn takes modeling work, there's a way of event and nostalgia — and he or she loves impressing her younger youngsters, who're shocked to see this aspect of their Haribo-munching, Honda-driving mother. When she made a shock cameo for Burberry at London Vogue Week in 2024, she mentioned her youngsters went wild watching the livestream from their house, shouting, “Go mummy!” She instructed Vogue, “Their view of what I do retains it so mild and pleasant. I carry that with me — that sense of, ‘What am I doing?' Having enjoyable, that's what I'm doing.”

Deyn's Instagram web page — and he or she solely has 9,000 followers — is sparsely populated and principally all in regards to the infants.

In Might 2025, she posted a carousel of pictures of her youngsters captioned with the phrases, “Expensive God, how do you know that every little individual You entrusted to me could be my refiner, my inspiration, my instructor, my healer. That the highs could be excessive and the lows could be low.”

Deyn herself nonetheless seems cool — together with her putting options, she all the time will — however “The Agyness” coiffure is lengthy gone. If you happen to had been simply scrolling by, you'd suppose she was another mother, not one of the crucial iconic faces of early '00s trend and popular culture.