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If it’s April, it must be Hong Kong. Or maybe it’s India. Or
Brazil. Some months are like that for one of the world’s
most sought-after fashion models: a whirlwind of departure
lounges and luxury hotels, of hair and makeup and swim-
suit shoots on exotic beaches and of interviews with
people she’ll probably never meet again.
But actually it’s New York, the epicenter of American
fashion; more precisely, it’s the Greenwich Hotel, one of
the city’s newest places to spend the night and a stomping
ground for models and actors alike. And the woman with
the million-miles-a-year travel schedule is Hilary Rhoda, a
lacrosse player from Chevy Chase, Maryland, whose
scrubbed, patrician demeanor—those piercing eyes, those
embroidered black eyebrows, that luscious mane—and
real-women-have-curves body have undermined the past
decade’s underfed-waif ideal.
At twenty-two, this strong-willed, strong-boned up-and-
comer is not only the youngest face of Estée Lauder but
also a Sports Illustrated swimsuit and Victoria's Secret
model. And that is just the beginning. After all, the perse-
vering Rhoda—whose early stabs at casting calls were met
with rolling eyes by agents not used to her all-American
look—is only four years into her career, but she has big
plans. “What Cindy Crawford has done is admirable,”
Rhoda says, tucked into a booth at Locanda Verde, with a
Diet Coke and a Nutella cookie in hand. “She conquered
the fashion world, and she's still relevant today. She has a
family, and she's a businesswoman with an empire. That's
what I hope to be like, too. It's important to think about the
future and move forward; so every year, once I accomplish
something, I find a bigger goal.”
Last year’s major achievement was riding an elephant in
India (in a bikini, no less) for her SI shoot; this year’s
dream is to land a hosting or an acting gig on-air—and to
spend more time in her adopted city. Because, despite the
excitement of jetting from St. Bart’s to Las Vegas to
Jamaica to Hong Kong, Rhoda especially loves meeting
friends for dinner at the Standard Grill, grabbing a cocktail
at the Carlyle before the Met Ball and lingering at the
Greenwich. “I love New York so much,” she says. “I’ll
always remain an East Coast girl.”
Perhaps, but she’s well on her way to becoming a citizen of
the world. Here, Rhoda shares some of her top tips for
making life on the fly a little less turbulent.
“To stay moisturized, I
always wear Estée Lauder’s
Advanced Night Repair
Synchronized Recovery
Complex [$74.50] on the
plane. And I pack their
battery-powered
TurboLash All Effects
Motion Mascara [$32],
which coats every lash.”
“I’m pretty easy when it comes to travel.
All I need is a beach and a pool and I’m good to
go. I love the Hotel Fasano [doubles from $470;
fasano.com.br], in Rio; it’s right on the water. And
in Miami Beach I’m loyal to the Raleigh
[doubles from $375; raleighhotel.com].
That pool! I’m going to the Caves [one-bedroom
cottages from $445; islandoutpost.com/the_caves],
in Negril, Jamaica, this spring. I’ll pack a few
James Perse T-shirts, a pair of Lanvin flats,
a dress from Jessie James and lots of bikinis.”
“For the SI shoot, we flew into Jaipur, in India,
then drove two hours to Amanbagh [haveli
suites from $550; amanresorts.com]. It was
amazing. The InterContinental [doubles from
$350; hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com]
is where I always stay in Hong Kong; the views
across Victoria Harbour are incredible. In
Beverly Hills, I love L'Ermitage [doubles from
$425; lermitagebh.com]. Not a lot of people
choose it, but it is far from the craziness of
Hollywood, the rooms are big, it's quiet, and they
serve guests these really fantastic snack nuts.”
“I have a Louis Vuitton roller that I bought
when I was still in high school. It’s
indestructible. I pack one outfit for every
day I’ll be gone, a toothbrush, a pashmina
to double as a blanket on the plane,
and that’s it.”
“I invited three of my girlfriends
to the Standard Grill when it opened,
and I’ve been back a lot since. It’s very cool.”
“My Chihuahua, Chloe, is my baby; she goes
everywhere with me. She’s been to Paris,
L.A.—that dog has traveled more than most
humans. I carry her in a Sherpa bag and often
sneak her onto my lap. The flight attendants
don’t say anything because she’s so small
and so cute.”