Today’s Independent in London profiles Claudia Schiffer with the headline “It’s only on a shoot that I become sexy”.

Schiffer, who has been on more magazine covers than any other model, is one of the “greats” — of the six.

Before models were airbrushed to nothingness and allowed to celebrate their female sensuality — that’s probably why they were supermodels and not mere coathangers for clothes — Smart Sensuality Claudia Schiffer demonstrated that a woman can be sensual, very smart, and also respectable.

The Independent’s Carola Long met up with Claudia Schiffer at D&G’s offices in Milan, where she’s one of several ‘faces’ for the brand’s new perfume series. (Note: bare backs and sliding off robes in video)

D&G Fragrance Anthology Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova

Unlike the airbrushed models of today, Claudia Schiffer looks just like her photos, says Long. Schiffer is Amazonian, so tall that tilting my head to look upwards at her face feels like staring up at one of her billboards.

There are five unisex fragrances in the D&G collection, each of them associated with different character traits. A key concept of Smart Sensuality women (and men) is that they embody similar traits, always grounded in female-centric Cultural Creative principles.

In this respect, men aren’t afraid to expose their more heart-felt, warm side. A man’s identity is not determined and expressed through his raw power, but via his character and life-embracing principles. You’ll note that men can be of the Smart Sensuality variety and still be studmuffins.

Smart Sensuality men aren’t ‘pussy-whipped’, as the expression goes. But they’re also not the Marlboro Man.

Claudia Schiffer models D&G’s La Lune fragranceBack to Claudia Schiffer, who is La Lune, a fresh white floral. “It’s meant to be quite soft and sensual, mysterious, charismatic and also calming,” explains Schiffer in a very un-self-conscious, matter-of-fact fashion, as if she was listing recipe ingredients. “In that sense it is like me because I am a very balanced person. I am calm most of the time.” via Independent

Checking for the ingredients behind La Lune: D&G 18 La Lune opens with fresh green accord, apple and bergamot. This blends into the envelopingly hypnotic lily, rose and tuberose heart that rests upon a textured base of sandalwood, musk, orris and white leather. 18 La Lune is subtle, mysterious and utterly alluring. via Boots online

This list is an excellent composite of a Smart Sensuality woman, Claudia Schiffer-style. It’s the ingredient of white leather that closes the deal and explains why the fragrance is unisex.

Schiffer’s relationship with the camera has always been an intimate one. In fact, the camera has liberated Schiffer, allowing her to express her sensual side in a way that doesn’t comprise her daily life — if you believe her.

Claudia reflects on a Vogue editor who called her the girl with the woolen underwear, because she always arrived for her photo shoots very prim and proper.

“It was only once I was in front of the camera that I would cross the line and become sexy. When I’m on a photo shoot I’m not shy at all. I take my clothes off and strike very sexy poses,” the former muse to Karl Lagerfelt tells The Independent.

Claudia Schiffer in Tank Magazine via Sexy FuturesSchiffer has never experienced a real scandal in her life. “I personally didn’t go to lots of parties,” she says. “I think the shyness actually protected me from lots of things. That’s probably why I have only had good experiences in modelling because I never had that moment where someone offered me drugs or something bad could have happened.”

Like Ines de la Fressange, Claudia Schiffer was dumped by Karl Lagerfeld as the Chanel muse in 1996. (I see a story brewing — “I’ve Been Dumped by Karl Lagerfeld”. Claudia felt that Karl was so sweet he would never do that to her.

Alas, Schiffer became a real woman, and with few exceptions, we know that fashion has little place for real women. Here I speak not of body size or weight, but of a grownup woman in control of herself and her sensuality.

Karl prefers boyish mannequins, not grown women. If you have any round edges, Karl calls you a potato-chip eating ‘fat mommy’.

In fact, the Yummy Mummy trend is a major one in fashion, real life, and sssh (p—-). It’s just Ralph Lauren and Karl who have no interest in YMs.

When writer Long asks Schiffer is she has any vice, the response is one of a woman who is totally in charge of herself. “I do love a Starbucks Frappuccino.” I assume that she is joking with me, but no, this really counts as a vice in her book. “People have seen me OD on those. On a really bad day I would have one in the afternoon as well and my heart will really be racing. I am reducing it now and seeing it as a treat.” It’s not that bad a habit surely? “Well it has a lot of caramel and sugar in it.” Anything else? “When we meet up with friends I will have a glass of red wine. The weekend is the time when my husband and I say, OK, we will have a slow roast of some kind and during the week we try and be very straight and healthy.” She only started drinking when she was 28; has she ever been drunk? “Of course, but never so drunk that I can’t remember anything from the night before.”

Claudia Schiffer: “I Like Myself So Much Better Today” Anne on London Times interview w/Claudia

Claudia Schiffer: “It’s only on a shoot that I become sexy’ The Independent London