It is a testament to the enduring power of Penelope Tree that she was recently seen dancing to Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, as one of the world’s 50 most famous models in a slick video made by Zara to mark its 50th year.
And, as she strikes a pose for our cameras today, a lesson in effortless cool, you can see why the 1960s supermodel still holds her own next to the Campbells, Crawfords and Turlingtons of the industry. At 75, Tree continues to rock those cheekbones and exudes the confidence that made her the face of flower power. Yet she still gets nervous. ‘Modelling is really fun, but I still find it a bit terrifying,’ she admits in her New York tone. ‘Truthfully, back in the day I was incredibly insecure. I was very shy, and I felt that everybody else was beautiful and I was this weirdo.’
She was born in New York in 1949 to Ronald Tree, a British Conservative MP, and Marietta Peabody Tree, an American socialite and political activist for the Democrats, both heavily involved in the city’s literary and social scene. After she was spotted at 16 by photographer Richard Avedon at Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White Ball in 1966, Tree received a call the next day from Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of American Vogue. It would change her life.
Avedon thought Tree was ‘perfect’, and her new life was one of Vogue covers in New York and photoshoots in Paris. She became David Bailey’s muse and lover in London, and was transformed – along with Edie Sedgwick, Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy – into an It-girl of the era. In London’s swinging 60s, she became known for her vibrant presence at parties, her social circle comprising artists and musicians, including such figures as Cecil Beaton and Edna O’Brien.
More than half a century later, Tree looks back on her extraordinary life and what it has taught her.
Blouse, £1,300, and trousers, £675, both zimmermann.com. Leather belt, £36, freepeople.com. Chain belt, stylist’s own
Model highs and lows
‘In the 60s, men had all the power. That’s why I feel models who have other interests are better off,’ says Tree. ‘Being multifaceted is key.’
Tree’s own modelling career ground to a halt in her early 20s due to late-onset acne, and in 1972 she was arrested for cocaine possession. ‘It was all an amazing adventure – until it wasn’t,’ she says. ‘I may have been a top model, but I also felt like a bit of a fraud. There wasn’t therapy in those days. Nobody would talk about my skin outbreak, which affected my confidence. The fashion industry wasn’t equipped to help me when I arrived from boarding school with anxiety and anorexia. But I’m grateful I didn’t grow up with Instagram like today’s young, and the pressure it puts on their appearance.’
With her modelling career derailed, Tree switched her focus to charity work and Buddhism. Over the years she has also written for American Vogue, British Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar UK and the Financial Times on modelling, the fashion industry and style.
Although admired in the 60s for her quirky beauty, ageing suits Tree. Fashion’s appetite for mature models has surged in the past decade, and she was in her 70s when she walked the fashion-week runways of Fendi in Milan and Richard Quinn in London.
Dress, £69, Laura Ashley, next.co.uk. Cap, £35.99, zara.com. Necklace, £1,180, giovanniraspini.com. Bangles, £60 each, karenmillen.com. Sandals, £180, reiss.com
From Bailey to babies
‘The moment I met David Bailey was like putting my finger into a light socket – electrifying!’ says Tree. ‘He was way too charismatic for his own good. The reason his charm was so compelling was he appeared vulnerable at the same time. He was/is very funny, too, which always helps.’
In 1974 Bailey ended their relationship. Tree left London and went travelling. She married musician Ricky Fataar, in 1978 in Los Angeles, and they moved to Sydney three years later. They have a daughter, Paloma, now 45. Tree also has a son, Michael, aged 35, from her later relationship with psychoanalyst Stuart MacFarlane. Today, Tree and Bailey, now 87, remain close and she is godmother to his son, Fenton, aged 37.
Penelope Tree, Adut Akech and Linda Evangelista for Zara, celebrating 50 years of the high-street store
Ageing and Botox
‘Obviously I’m not beautiful like a 20-odd- year-old any more, but I shouldn’t be. And nowadays I feel more interested in what’s going on. I didn’t notice before because I was so obsessed with how I appeared.’
Tree doesn’t do Botox or filler injectables. ‘I’m not trying to prove anything,’ she says. ‘You just have to accept the inevitability of ageing. I don’t really see what’s wrong with it.’
Tree’s elder peers left their faces alone, too. ‘Mrs Vreeland wore a lot of make-up, but she didn’t go under the knife,’ says Tree. ‘She was just such incredibly good company. You never thought, “Gosh, isn’t she looking a bit saggy!”’
While some celebrities deny ageing – Mariah Carey has recently made headlines for her refusal to celebrate her birthdays altogether – Tree embraces the process. ‘Denial isn’t just a cliché in divaland. I was thinking that embalmers must be thrilled by the anti-age obsession. Most of their work is done for them before their clients even bite the dust! I do understand it may be harder for performers, but if you google anyone, the first thing that comes up is their age. Who are we fooling? Plus Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Ross and Chrissie Hynde are all still out there performing in their 70s and 80s, and they’re fabulous. In my 40s I hated birthdays and the thought of getting older. Now I am so happy to have made it through another year.’
Penelope Tree, photographed by David Bailey for Vogue, 1968.
Plastic surgery
The idea of ‘Mar-a-Lago face’ surgery and treatments (see Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Kristi Noem and Melania Trump) is not for Tree.
‘I have friends who say, “Darling, come on, let’s do the jawline now!”’ She playfully brushes her chin and then her neck as though to smooth it. ‘But I don’t like hospitals or the idea of being fiddled with in a surgical way.’
Hollywood’s older stars are noting the rise of facial changes even among the young. Jamie Lee Curtis recently remarked, ‘There’s a disfigurement of generations of women.’
Tree believes it must be down to a lack of confidence. ‘“Disfigurement” is a harsh word, but repeated plastic surgery does tend to make people look like replicants. There are so many reasons why people get plastic surgery and if it’s a subtle refresh that makes people feel better about themselves, then great. But in my opinion, insecurity usually stems from a deeper place in the psyche, and changing the exterior to address an existential problem is not likely to make it go away.’
With her father in their Heron Bay home, Barbados, photographed by Patrick Lichfield, 1968.
Best beauty hacks
‘I use Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream more regularly than most and lately I have discovered Trinny London’s The Elevator cream for the jawline and neck. It’s subtle, but I think it’s making a difference, though perhaps this is my wishful thinking!’ she says. ‘In my 20s my currency was my beauty. Now my currency is being alive, interested and curious. I just leave it to the hairdressers and the make-up artists to make me look as good as I can, which isn’t easy!’
Tree is, however, partial to non-invasive face tapes, which can temporarily give the look of a facelift. The old-school film-star hack that’s now a TikTok craze works by attaching adhesive pads to clear strings that are discreetly threaded around the head under the hair to pull back the skin. Joan Collins, Bella Hadid and the Kardashians are fans.
How to fake a tweakment
‘I noticed when I was much younger that statement jewellery on older people looks fabulous,’ Tree explains. ‘A great necklace, chunky earrings, pearls or precious stones really bring out personality – sometimes even more so than with younger people.’
60s It-couple Tree and David Bailey, 1970.
Ozempic and eating disorders
‘I think Ozempic only causes trouble. It’s all about degree, isn’t it?’ says Tree. ‘You look at some skinny people and you know it’s natural for them. And then you look at other girls and you think, “They’ve starved themselves or they’re on the jab,” and it’s not a great look.’
Tree’s concerns are that for teenagers starting out in her industry, it will cause them problems later. ‘Model agents, especially in this Ozempic age, need to be very discerning with their girls. It took me a long time to resolve my own eating disorders,’ she explains.
Tree suffered with anorexia from the age of 14, and with bulimia in her modelling years. ‘I’ve learnt to find the balanced middle way and that seems to work for pretty much everything. I used to be so extreme as a young person; about food, everything – even love. Becoming a mother in my 30s helped me greatly, along with therapy.
‘What’s good for you when you’re 45 isn’t always particularly good for you at 75. Whether it’s love, clothes or your weight. Instinctively, I feel better and stronger if I have a little bit of weight on me at this age.’
Tree photographed by John Cowan for Vogue, 1969
Love and dating
Single life suits Tree. ‘I’ve been living on my own for 12 years now and treasure my independence. The idea of dating or batting my eyelashes at anyone fills me with horror. That horse bolted a long time ago. It’s so great not to have to answer to anyone and to make my own choices regarding what I do with my time – although I have had to learn how to sit with loneliness. I now see loneliness as more of an impediment to staying present than an actual longing to be with someone for the sake of not being alone,’ she adds.
‘People of my age – especially men – often want a partner so they can be looked after in their old age. It’s the older man/ younger woman scenario. Well, good luck to them! I cannot imagine enduring the whole getting-to-know-you routine again. Honestly. the only time I miss having a partner is at parties. It would be nice to have a familiar someone to enter and leave with, but as I rarely go to parties, it’s not a big deal.’
Shopping then and now
Tree spent her 20s riffling through the racks of Vern Lambert’s vintage haute-couture haven in Chelsea. Zara is now her favourite store. ‘Well, it is just so affordable and actually quite fabulous,’ she says. ‘I wear an orange Zara suit every summer and it’s the most complimented outfit I’ve ever worn in my life.’
Tree likens Zara shopping to her days spent browsing the rails at Biba, Barbara Hulanicki’s iconic Kensington boutique of the 60s and 70s, a bolthole for fashionistas of the time. ‘People were elbowing you out of the way to grab whatever was in your hands. If you put anything down, that was it. The changing rooms were wonderfully chaotic. Feather boas, jewellery and clothes flying. And it stank of BO. The lust for the clothes there was next level.’
Boho style has made another resurgence to become one of this summer’s biggest trends. In Tree’s day, it came with a much smaller price tag. ‘It was fabulous because you could get a whole outfit – I swear to god nobody believes it now – for £5 in Biba. I can’t afford designer, who can? It’s ridiculous today. If you look at magazines, it’s all aspirational rather than affordable. Everything is £2,000.’
Her only investment is denim: ‘If there’s one thing I have learnt as I have aged, it’s to spend money on jeans. I love Mother denim. I’ve worn the same pair for the past three years and they’re as good as new. Thick, quality, rigid denim is the most flattering on older figures.
‘Whatever you wear, you don’t want to be mutton dressed as lamb,’ she concludes. ‘You also don’t want to go flouncy or too Little House On The Prairie.’
Coat, £395, charlottesimone.com. Cardigan, £75, Selected Femme at anthropologie.com. Trousers, £45, asos.com. Scarf, £18, nobodyschild.com
Keeping fit at 75
‘There are so many things that interest me: exhibitions, art galleries, reading, movies, theatre,’ says Tree. ‘I think it keeps you going: loving art and loving beauty and being alive. That’s the secret, especially when what’s going on in the world is really difficult.’
That, and kundalini yoga. Tree discovered Buddhism in her 40s. ‘When I met His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York I felt a deep connection with him,’ she says. She practises yoga at least an hour every day. Her other at-home fix is the Five Tibetan Rites. ‘It takes 15 minutes and there are five exercises and you do 21 repetitions of each one each day. They’re amazing for older bodies. If you feel tired or run down, they reset your system.’
Tree is also the kind of mum who makes manifestation boards with her family each Christmas. ‘We cut out things we like the look of. It’s about listening to the unconscious. And we check them at the end of the next year to see if they’ve crossed over with our lives.’
Writing books
Will there be another book? ‘I’d like to write one that is not about me, me, me,’ she says. Tree’s debut novel, 2024’s Piece Of My Heart, was inspired by her early modelling days and received rave reviews. ‘Writing it was cathartic as there were so many traumas during that time of my life,’ she says. ‘Now I’m interested in writing fiction from a different point of view, maybe from a male perspective. I find it incredibly difficult to think like a man and I want to explore that further.’
Hair: Tim Crespin at Arlington Artists for Neil Moodie Studio.
Make-up: Carol Sullivan at Arlington Artists using Erborian Korean Skin Therapy.