Cindy Crawford isn't leaving the fashion industry behind.
In the February edition of United Airlines' Rhapsody magazine, Crawford announced that her focus would soon shift from modeling to other endeavors. "I'm sure I'll have my picture taken for 10 more years, but not as a model anymore. And that's OK. I've done it," the 49-year-old brunette beauty said. "I've worked with all these incredible photographers. What else do I need to do? I can't keep reinventing myself. I shouldn't have to keep proving myself. I don't want to."
After the interview was published, it was clear many readers believed Crawford was planning to retire from the modeling industry. As a result, she clarified her comments Monday. "Every year, I tell my kids I'm retiring. It's a running joke in our family," she wrote in an Instagram caption. "And yet every year, opportunities pop up that really excite me. While it's true that I'm eager to shift my focus a bit to concentrate on my businesses, friends and family — I'm not making any final statements (not all headlines tell the whole story!). I have loved being part of the fashion industry for the past 30 years — and if that time has taught me anything, it's this: never say never," she added. "Thanks for all the support, I'm so excited for what 2016 holds! xo Cindy."
Rest assured, Crawford loves being in front of the camera.
During a co-ed yoga and hiking retreat she does once a year, Crawford had some time to reflect on her career and her impact on the fashion industry. "I was like, I love my job, but am I really that superficial that I just love getting my hair and makeup done and looking beautiful? And what I realized was that what I really love and am passionate about is communication," she said. "And the way that I have been communicating for the past 30 years has been through pictures."
So, what things does Crawford have in store for 2016 and beyond? "There's always another thing to look forward to. The big numbers are hard—or mind-boggling—for me. You wake up at 40, or almost 50, and you realize, 'I'm still me.' The fact that I am doing work that I love, have a good relationship with my husband, beautiful kids, all of that makes it not totally painless—because there's still some yearning for what was—but what would I trade for it?" she told the magazine. "What day or what experience of my life would I give up to be younger? Nothing."