Photo: Adriane Jaeckle

BEST INSPIRATION BY A FEMALE SINGER

EMMYLOU HARRIS

Emmy Lou Harris was born in 1947, the daughter of a Marine Corps officer who was reported missing in action in the Korean War. (He actually spent 10 months in a prisoner of war camp.) The class valedictorian of her high school, she won a drama scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she began to study music. She left college to follow her musical star, working as a waitress in New York City. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, she performs solo, as a backup artist, and in duets with major artists, singing both her own songs and those of other composers. With a style that spans from bluegrass to folk to alternative rock, Emmylou has won 12 Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in February of last year.

Photo: Michael Waring/MORE Magazine

BEST INSPIRATION BY A MODEL/PHOTOGRAPHER

YASMINA ROSSI

Born in France in 1955, and raised in Corsica, Yasmina Rossi has also lived In Paris, South Africa, and now, as a permanent home, the United States. In 1983, she combined raising children with a double career as an interior/fashion designer and photographer. Soon after, she was modeling for Yves Saint Laurent and other designers, taking acting classes to prepare her for what would surely come: features in movies, and countless television commercials. Recently, Yasmina turned down a lucrative global cosmetic campaign, when they asked her to dye her hair, saying the money could not buy her freedom and her happiness.

Going gray has never been an issue with Yasmina, who spotted her first white hair at the age of 12. She loved it immediately, as it made her different. She says she wore the “extroverted mask” of a shy person to survive her fear and insecurity, and turned to modeling as a means to conquer that shyness. Today, as “time has had an effect on my appearance,” she feels comfortable and all the more beautiful. Insisting she is not a feminist, she believes women have to break away from the beauty conventions, and never be afraid not to be the standard, never be afraid to show they are special. “The goodness inside of each of us has to be recognized first by ourselves,” she says, “it is a pity to destroy what Nature has created so nicely.”

Yasmina continues to express her love of nature through photography, and indeed works as a photographer for various publications and corporations. Her unique textural landscape approach is highly recognizable and equally adaptable to interiors and fashion locations. She is also an advanced ceramist, speaks three languages fluently (with Spanish to come, she says), and loves yoga, windsurfing, and scuba diving. Latest passion: Green building with Adobe Alliance in SW Texas.

Photo: Heather Weston

BEST INSPIRATION BY A MODEL/MAKEUP ARTIST

CINDY JOSEPH

Cindy Joseph had decided to retire from the fashion business after spending 23 years as a top makeup artist. She was ready for adventure, wanted to pursue a “life in the wilderness somewhere out West.” No one could have been more surprised when a casting agent approached her on an East Village street in Manhattan, asking if she wanted to model for an upcoming Dolce & Gabbana campaign. She didn’t think she had the makings of a model; for one thing, she was too short. And she wasn’t emaciated. At 5’7” tall, she weighed a healthy 125-130 pounds. And she was 49.  But she gave it a go, half thinking they were crazy. Ford Models spotted the campaign, signed her to an exclusive contract, and before long, she was hired for print and TV ads. Cindy was ok with going gray in her thirties, then started covering it in her 40’s. Six years later, it was back to gray. Now, it’s her trademark.

Photo: MORE Magazine

BEST INSPIRATION BY A MODEL/REAL ESTATE BROKER

SUSAN MCGRAW

Yes, Susan will actually sell you a house, if you’re looking to buy in the Hamptons. Far from giving up this successful career, she calls modeling her “alternate” career, and feels it blends well with her position as Senior Vice President of The Corcoran Group and her life as a college student at Skidmore (where her son just completed his freshman year.) Although she was a former teen model for Ford, she hadn’t done a shoot for years. Then Bobbi Brown “re-discovered” her for her book The Evolution of Beauty. Inquiries from magazines started pouring in, so Susan went back to Ford as a Classic and Lifestyle model, a bit surprised at how her new career has led to incredible opportunities; commercials, billboards, catalogues, and a stint as The Face for Revlon’s Vital Radiance collection for women 50+.

Susan never colored her hair, and never thought of doing so. She is “a proponent of letting life reveal and not hide who I am physically, intellectually, and emotionally.” Like Yasmina, she has turned down six-figure modeling contracts because she refuses to color her hair. Recently re-married, Susan says she revels in the woman she has become and is scintillated by every adventure of her life. Favorite quote: “The baby boomer woman is demographically exceptional in every way!” No argument here.

BEST INSPIRATION BY A FASHION DESIGNER

EILEEN FISHER

Eileen Fisher believes every woman has a unique beauty, which is why she features many non-traditional models in her advertising, including employees of her own company, and, gasp, women with gray hair. It must work. Her timeless, easy-to-wear clothing has fostered a company consisting of 25 retail stores in eleven states, a presence in most major department stores, and consistently high sales. Not bad for a company she started in 1984, with $350. Her first “collection” consisted of two tops, a pair of cropped pants, and a V-neck vest. After one trade show, eight stores ordered them. And she was off and running. Literally. What drives her is the idea that a woman should feel comfortable in her clothes, comfortable with her body, and, above all, comfortable being herself.

Photo: Melissa Hom/New York Magazine

BEST INSPIRATION BY A FASHION EXECUTIVE

LINDA FARGO

As Senior Vice President, Women’s Fashion Director and Store Presentation at Bergdorf Goodman, Linda Fargo makes a fashion statement with her striking white hair wherever she goes. Sitting in the front row at fashion shows critically analyzing the trends of the next season, attending parties for every designer worth a glance, working with her team to create the look, the feel, and the windows of the legendary specialty store, Linda is totally a woman in charge. Responsible for the breathtaking holiday windows, Linda creates dreamscapes of past and present, art and fantasy, exotic lands and enchanting places that draw tourists at the holidays and city gawkers all year through. With her street-smart style and her fondness for bold color and bolder accessories, she has emphatically put white hair on the fashion map.

BEST INSPIRATION BY A POLITICAL STRATEGIST

DONNA BRAZILE

Born in 1959, Donna Brazile cut her political teeth at the age of 9, when she took on a local candidate for political office after he promised to build a neighborhood playground. The first African American woman to direct a major presidential campaign (Gore-Lieberman 2000) she had been making her presence felt in Washington for over two decades, working for several advocacy groups before tackling campaigns from Jimmy Carter’s through Bill Clinton’s presidential and re-election campaign. Now a Democratic super delegate in the 2008 election, she is also a weekly contributor and commentator on CNN’s The Situation Room, American Morning, and election coverage. Donna is a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, and an Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown University. The Founder and Managing Director of Brazile & Associates, Donna continues to empower grassroots advocates and train citizens to participate in the political process.

BEST INSPIRATION BY A GOVERNOR

KATHLEEN SEBELIUS

The 44th Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius is capturing her share of national attention. You could say it started as she gave the rebuttal speech to President Bush’s State-of-the-Union address, but this Kansas Governor has been pivotal on the state, national, and international fronts since first being elected in 2003, and re-elected to a second term in 2006. The first daughter of a Governor (John Gilligan, Ohio) in US history to be elected to the same position, she’s certainly a governor to watch. With her energy, dedication, and high visibility, Kathleen Sebelius may finally make it okay for more women in public office to go gray. Makes you wonder – if Hillary had just not bleached her hair…

BEST INSPIRATION BY AN ACTRESS

JAMIE LEE CURTIS

Born in 1958 to Hollywood Royalty Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis was often the bombshell squeaky teen, playing ingénue roles with all the beguiling innocence a buxom beauty could muster. Initially known as the “scream queen” because of numerous roles in slasher films, she soon established herself as a serious actress in Trading Places (1983), earning the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress, and cult-classic A Fish Called Wanda (1988). She won a Golden Globe for her work in True Lies, and received her second Golden Globe nomination for Freaky Friday. Jamie was also nominated for an Emmy for the television movie, Nicholas’ Gift. While she is now focusing on her family, she also pens critically-acclaimed children’s books, and has applied for a patent for an innovative children’s diaper! Little known facts: Jamie Lee is a Lady. Lady Hadon-Guest, after her husband, Christopher Guest inherited the Barony of Haden-Guest upon the death of his father in 1996. Another surprise: she’s the godmother of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Photo: Michael Neugebauer

BEST INSPIRATION BY A SCIENTIST

JANE GOODALL

Renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall spent nearly 40 years with the chimps of Gombe, doing groundbreaking research in a most unorthodox manner. The first to gain their trust, she lived among them, studying their habits, their skills, their moods and emotions. And she was able to challenge every conventional notion about chimpanzees. Her book The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior, is considered a definitive work, proving primates are highly intelligent, live in complex social groups, make and use tools, have distinct personalities, and can engage in brutal warfare. Dr. Goodall continues to be a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats, and through her Institute has established community-centered conservation and educational programs in Africa and 96 countries. One of the most honored scientists on the planet, she was named a U.N. “Messenger of Peace” by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and, in 2004, was invested as a Dame of the British Empire.

BEST INSPIRATION BY AN EDITOR

ELLEN LEVINE

Unlike a certain white-haired, Prada-wearing editor the movies dreamed up, Ellen Levine has risen to the top of the publishing world, earning many accolades and awards along the way. Today, she is the first-ever editorial director for Hearst Magazines. Yes, all the magazines, with responsibility for strengthening current titles and developing new ones, and evaluating opportunities for brand extensions, books, digital alternatives, and cross-promotional magazine opportunities. She originally made publishing history when she became the first woman to be named editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping (you mean men were telling us how to keep house before?), appearing often on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and other national talk shows and news programs. A few other titles you might recognize: Ellen was instrumental in developing O. The Oprah Magazine, served as editor-in-chief of Redbook and Woman’s Day, was a senior editor at Cosmopolitan, and helped develop Weekend and Quick & Simple.

And in her spare time, she served two terms as president of the American Society of Magazine Editors, was appointed a member of the U.S. Attorney General’s Commission on Pornorgraphy, served as a delegate at the International Women’s Media Foundation meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, and is a director of Finlay Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of Finlay Fine Jewelry, the top operator of leased jewelry departments in the U.S.  Ellen has won numerous awards and been cited by major organizations for her accomplishments. In 2004, she was inducted into the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame, received the Writer’s Hall of Fame Award for lifestyle coverage, and received the Matrix Award for exceptional achievement, one of the communication industry’s most prestigious honors.

BEST INSPIRATION BY A JOURNALIST

HELOISE

Also known as Poncé Kiah Marchelle Heloise Cruse Evans, but to millions as the “Hints from Heloise” Heloise, this great gray has helped many of us solve the inexplicable tricky mysteries of running house and home. She came to it naturally, as the daughter of the “original” Heloise, a trailblazing woman journalist. Her mother began the helpful columns in a newspaper in Honolulu, offering to work free for 30 days to see if it took hold. It did, and proved to be such a success in two years, Mama Heloise was written up in Time magazine. The headline “Hints from Heloise” was born in 1961 when the column was syndicated, and by 1964, it was running in 593 newspapers in America and abroad. In 1966, her daughter, then a college student, began helping her out with the column. This is the Heloise of today, who took over the column when her mother died, and continues to write it to this day. She’s also penned books, covering every single household dilemma, including getting organized, mastering stinks and stains, keeping the planet healthy, and do-it-yourself beauty hints. Heloise is also a contributing editor of Good Housekeeping and monthly columnist. She’s popular on the talk show and lecture circuit, as well, speaking to business and civic organizations across America.  And she makes frequent appearances on behalf of Battered Women’s Shelters, the USO, and The American Heart Association. If you’ve only used one of her helpful hints (and chances are, you’ve used many), you’ll know that, like her mother’s tombstone reads, she truly is “Every Housewife’s Friend.”