Most people remember the hair. That massive, 1980s-defying volume that seemed to have its own zip code. If you grew up anywhere near a TV in the early 90s, you knew Rachel Hunter as the "Pantene Girl" or the woman who somehow convinced Rod Stewart to settle down—for a bit, anyway. But looking back at Rachel Hunter young, before the rock-star marriage and the Hollywood scripts, you find a story that’s way more accidental than the industry wants you to believe.
She wasn't some hungry kid chasing fame. Honestly? She was a dancer with a broken dream.
The "Trumpet" Girl from Glenfield
Rachel didn't grow up in a penthouse. She was a kid from Glenfield, Auckland, basically living in the bush. Her childhood was less about fashion magazines and more about nature, spirituality, and a pretty serious devotion to ballet.
By the time she was 15, she was already a serious athlete and dancer. Then life threw a curveball. She contracted toxoplasmosis, a blood disease that usually doesn't hit teens that hard, but for Rachel, it was devastating. It drained her energy completely. Her dream of becoming a professional dancer vanished almost overnight.
To get her strength back, she started running on the beaches of New Zealand. That’s where the "discovery" happened. A photographer saw her, thought she had the look, and the rest should have been history. But Rachel actually thought the idea of modeling was "ridiculous." She didn't think much of the industry at all.
Her first real gig? A 1985 commercial for Tip Top Trumpet ice cream. If you’re a Kiwi of a certain age, that "you can't beat a Trumpet" ad is burned into your brain. She was just a teenager in a swimsuit, but the camera didn't just like her—it obsessed over her.
That Meteoric 1980s Ascent
Things moved fast. Like, dizzying fast. By 16, she was in Australia. By 17, she was signed to Ford Models in New York.
Most models spend years "testing" and living in crowded apartments eating ramen. Rachel? She was on the cover of Vogue (both US and German editions) by 1987. She became the face of CoverGirl and Revlon almost immediately.
What made a young Rachel Hunter different from the "Big Five" supermodels like Naomi Campbell or Linda Evangelista? She wasn't high-fashion "alien" beautiful. She was the sunny, curvy, outdoorsy girl-next-door—but on steroids. She was a chameleon. One minute she looked like an Amazonian in a red bikini for Sports Illustrated, and the next, she was ultra-sophisticated in Dolce & Gabbana.
The Sports Illustrated Breakthrough
If Vogue made her a professional, Sports Illustrated made her a household name. Her first appearance in the 1989 Swimsuit Issue was a cultural reset. She wasn't just another thin model; she had muscle, curves, and a New Zealand tan that looked like it belonged on a postcard.
The Rod Stewart Era: 21 and Global
By the time she turned 21 in 1990, Rachel was arguably the most famous woman in New Zealand and a top-tier global star. Then she married Rod Stewart.
People forget how much of a scandal/sensation that was. He was 24 years her senior. She was basically a kid, and by 23, she had two children, Renee and Liam. Looking back, Rachel has been candid about it. She’s admitted she was "just too young" and that the decision to leave after nine years of marriage was one of the hardest things she ever did, especially knowing how much it hurt Stewart.
But that’s the thing about Rachel Hunter—she’s always been weirdly down-to-earth for someone who lived that life. Even when she was "Stacy's Mom" in the 2003 Fountains of Wayne music video (a role that introduced her to a whole new generation of teenagers), she never took the "supermodel" persona too seriously.
What Most People Miss
There’s a misconception that she was just a "pretty face" who got lucky with a rock star.
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If you look at her career arc, it’s actually a masterclass in evolution. She pivoted to acting in films like Rock Star (2001) and The Benchwarmers, but her real soul-work started later. Those early years in the NZ bush never left her. Today, she’s a 500-hour certified yoga and meditation teacher. She traded the red carpets for ashrams in India and a nomadic lifestyle.
She sold her big LA mansion in 2020. Moved into a one-bedroom apartment. She’s now more likely to be found teaching a retreat in the Himalayas than sitting front row at Fashion Week.
Why Her Early Years Still Matter
The "young" version of Rachel Hunter provides the blueprint for how she lives now. She was never obsessed with the glamour; she was obsessed with the experience.
- The Chameleon Factor: She could fit into any room but never quite belonged to the industry.
- The Work Ethic: Moving to Paris and NYC at 16/17 without a safety net requires a grit most people don't see behind the smile.
- The Authenticity: Even in the 80s, she was the "girl from Glenfield" who loved Vogel's bread and the beach.
Moving Forward
If you’re looking to channel that Rachel Hunter energy, it’s not about the hairspray or the magazine covers. It’s about the pivot. When her dance career died, she ran on the beach. When the supermodel era ended, she found spirituality.
For those wanting to dig deeper into her current philosophy, her series Tour of Beauty is the best place to start. It bridges the gap between the young woman who was judged solely on her skin and the woman who now travels the world to find what "beauty" actually means in different cultures.
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Your Next Steps:
- Watch the 1985 Tip Top Trumpet ad on YouTube to see the exact moment a star was born.
- Follow her current travels via her social media or her Tour of Beauty site; she’s remarkably transparent about aging and life transitions.
- Research the "Born Free Foundation"—Rachel has been a long-time advocate for animal welfare, a passion that started long before she ever stepped in front of a camera.