Model Noemi Lenoir: Post office's 'most wanted' face

February 29, 2000
Web posted at: 11:26 a.m. EST (1626 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- If actress Lana Turner could be discovered at a drug store soda fountain, why can't a model get a break at a post office?

That's what happened to Noemie Lenoir, 19, when she was buying stamps at a post office near her home in Versailles, France, two years ago. That quick trip put her on a career path that's led from Paris photo studios to New York runways.

"Everything changed," she says. "I'm more independent ... and I'm nervous for the future."

At 5 feet, 10 inches, Lenoir is a fresh international face zooming into the fashion scene. She gets her looks from her mother, who comes from an island off Madagascar, and her French father.

Her first gig was a magazine shoot for Marie Claire in Paris, but Lenoir knew she'd have to relocate to seek her fashion fortune. After finishing school, she left her parents in Versailles and moved to New York to model full time.

"It's more easy for black girls, mixed girl(s), to come to New York for work," she says, "so it's better for me in New York."

Lenoir says one of her favorite activities is shopping, especially for pants, handbags and shoes. But her job doesn't allow a lot of spare time for stores: Lenoir spends three to four days a week traveling.

She manages to stay in shape at home and while traveling, eating right and getting plenty of sleep. "(They say) models ... don't eat," she says. "Don't worry, we eat, and I sleep very well."

Perhaps one reason she sleeps so well is the way she spends part of her waking hours. A believer in exercise, Lenoir swims anytime she can. She also loves horseback riding.

At Manhattan's Chelsea Equestrian Center, she rides regularly on a horse named Boston. Lenoir says riding brings her close to nature, clears her thoughts and relaxes every muscle.

Some of those thoughts turn to the future, to the time when she's no longer modeling. "Maybe I (will) use my diploma, or take a job in this business," she says. "I'm not worried about that."

CNN Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch contributed to this report.

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