Christie Brinkley was warned she'd be "chewed up and spit out" by the modelling industry before she was 30.
The supermodel turned 70 in February and her career is still going strong, but she admitted she used to dread getting older as she feared it would lead the the end on work coming in for her.
She told People magazine: "They told me by the time you're 30, you'll be chewed up and spit out of this business. But 50 isn't 50 anymore. Thirty isn't 30 anymore."
Though Christie "dreaded" turning 70, she's enjoying the new decade so far.
She said: "It's the start of a great decade. I'm hearing from women on my Instagram, like, 'Now I'm looking forward to my 7-0. I was kind of dreading it, but you're making it look so fun. And it is really important to make it fun and so far so great."
Christie covered Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit issue this month, and while the photoshoot was "crazy", she thought it was "really fantastic" for the publication to highlight older models such as herself and 82-year-old lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.
She said: "I think it's really, really fantastic that Sports Illustrated not only has me, but Martha, who looks so great.
"She has the distinction of being the oldest cover model on Sports Illustrated. I sat right behind Martha and I can vouch that her skin is perfection!"
The veteran catwalk star praised firms who work with older women because ageing isn't what it used to be and female should keep "getting out there and keep shining".
She added: "There's so many women that are taking on new jobs that they always wanted to do, but they had that job before that they needed to do, and now they're doing passion projects.
"That's really exciting. So many women are getting out there and changing the ideas of what these numbers represent. Women at 70 want to see women like me and that's okay!"
