Why Elle Macpherson’s New Book Will Change Your Life for the Better

‘Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself’ is available today wherever books are sold.

Elle Macpherson / Amazon and NBC/Getty Images

Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson is a multihyphenate known for her 10 appearances in the SI Swimsuit Issue, multiple business ventures and starring television and film roles. Today, the 60-year-old mogul adds “author” to her résumé, with the publication of her book, Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself.

Rather than an autobiography or memoir, Macpherson describes the book as a tool that readers can use to glean lessons in order to change their lives for the better. Elle covers everything from Macpherson’s breakthrough career moment with SI Swimsuit in 1985 to her rise to fame on the runway, as well as reflections on parenting, relationships, health and more.

“It was sort of a cosmic hint in a way because people were asking questions and asking for help and I was getting clear insights and joining the dots of experience with tools and lessons in my own life, and so things were becoming clearer,” Macpherson says of writing the book, available today wherever books are sold. “It was just time to put it on paper.”

Macpherson says she approached writing in the same way a mother might offer advice to her child, or the way a friend might provide insights to someone who is “awakening to the concept of ... having tools to change their life for the better.” She hopes each and every reader will find something that resonates from the life lessons she shares in the book.

“Sharing from the heart who you are—and that’s what we’re all called to do, is to be our unique selves in this world—to bring our unique essence into the world [is key],” Macpherson adds. “And if we do that, we find our direction and purpose and it’s much easier to be yourself than be anybody else. So life flows more effortlessly.”

A lesson in being your best self

Macpherson dedicates an entire chapter, “Be the best version of yourself,” to her time with SI Swimsuit, due to the important crossroads her work with the brand represented in her life. She credits founding editor Jule Campbell for teaching her how to be the best version of herself, and says that after that first year posing for the issue in Australia, she returned to set with a renewed sense of optimism with the hopes of landing the cover of the 1986 issue.

To prepare for her sophomore SI Swimsuit photo shoot, Macpherson exercised, ate well, and prepared herself mentally and emotionally for the trip. But most importantly of all, she leaned into her true authentic self with confidence.

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“I arrived [on set] fresh and ready to just do my best, and Jule had taught me about the importance of leaning into your uniqueness, because she was very interested in diversity in women and uniqueness,” Macpherson recalls. “I realized that I was this athletic, sort of sporty girl, and rather than being embarrassed by that, I really played to that. And so all my poses and kind of my attitude was very sporty ... And then I gave everything a go. I learned to work in a team, wherever anybody needed help, whether it be carrying camera gear or hanging up bathing suits or climbing across rocks to be photographed with seals. Whatever it was, whatever it took, I chose to do.”

After posing for photographer Brian Lanker in Bora Bora, Macpherson earned the cover of the 1986 SI Swimsuit Issue—resulting in an image that remains iconic to this day.

Elle Macpherson’s 1986 SI Swimsuit Issue cover / Brian Lanker/SI Swimsuit

“From then on, it was just a beautiful springboard to building a profound brand and career and to launch businesses from it,” Macpherson says of her career trajectory after that first SI Swimsuit Issue cover (she would go on to land four more over the years, the most of any brand model in history). “I produced my own calendars, workout videos, I created a lingerie license ... So it was really the crossroads in my career and I’m so grateful to Sports Illustrated for that opportunity and particularly to Jule Campbell.”

How to purchase Elle

Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself, a collection of wisdom gleaned by years of experience in the modeling, business and wellness space, is available now for purchase at any good bookstore. It can also be purchased online via major retailers like Amazon ($23.40).

In addition to penning the book, Macpherson recorded the audiobook version herself, which was scored by her partner, Doyle Bramhall II. The 55-year-old musician and producer scored the book to capture the spirit of the beginning and end of each chapter, using instruments like gongs, guitars and piano to help relax the reader’s parasympathetic nervous system.