The model-turned-actor-turned-businesswoman is trying her hand at mentorship.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]
Words by Georgia Aspinall<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2076334624-scaled.jpg” alt=”Rosie Huntington-Whiteley” title_text=”2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] If anyone knows the importance of confidence, it\u2019s Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. The 38-year-old mother of two started modelling at just 16-years-old, her first campaign for Levi jeans, and became the face of Victoria\u2019s Secret at 19. \u2018In my early career, I was really fortunate to have a few key people who helped guide me,\u2019 she tells Grazia. \u2018Having mentors who believed in me made a huge difference and they offered advice, support, and sometimes just a listening ear when things got challenging.\u2019<\/p>\n Such challenges include critical casting agents \u2013 she, like so many models, was told to lose weight early in her career and sent home from shoots for being \u2018full-figured\u2019 \u2013 being rejected from jobs for having \u2018too much of a personality\u2019 and told she wouldn\u2019t work past the age of 25. Tell that to Jean Paul Gaultier, for whom she walked the runway in Paris Couture week earlier this year, her first show almost a decade after shifting focus from modelling into more acting and business ventures.<\/p>\n \u2018It was a combination of guidance, self-belief, and resilience that truly shaped my career,\u2019 Whiteley explains. \u2018I believe young women need a combination of [these] key elements to succeed in the working world. Role models are incredibly important as they show what\u2019s possible and inspire confidence. Alongside that, believing in yourself and your abilities opens doors and encourages you to take on new challenges, even when things feel uncertain\u2026 Ultimately, success comes from a blend of support, mindset, skills, and access to opportunities.\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2055643912-scaled.jpg” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ alt=”Rosie Huntington-Whiteley” title_text=”Valentino : Front Row – Paris Fashion Week – Womenswear Fall\/Winter 2024-2025″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] This summer, Whiteley will take on a mentor role as part of her work as a new ambassador for The King\u2019s Trust, which provides support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. \u2018With everything I do in my career now, I\u2019m always focused on ensuring there\u2019s purpose and lasting impact behind it,\u2019 she says. \u2018One recent initiative I\u2019m especially proud of is the Vesative Collective closet sale, with 100% of the net proceeds going directly to The King\u2019s Trust to support young people. We\u2019re also exploring further initiatives within the charity, particularly the Change a Girl\u2019s Life campaign. As a mother, it\u2019s deeply important to me that every girl has the opportunity to thrive and this initiative helps provide just that, through access to education, training, and employment opportunities.\u2019<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Whiteley joined King Charles during a reception at Buckingham Palace for the winners of the King\u2019s Trust Awards, one of whom was 17-year-old refugee Adey who won the breakthrough award for demonstrating exceptional resilience when starting a new life alone in the UK just over ax year ago. \u2018Hearing Adey\u2019s story before was incredibly moving but finally meeting her in person was something I\u2019ll never forget,\u2019 Whiteley says. \u2018Her journey from Eritrea to the UK is deeply inspiring. The strength, confidence, and quiet determination she carries as she builds a new future is nothing short of extraordinary.\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/07\/IMG_2317-scaled.jpeg” alt=”Rosie Huntington-Whiteley” title_text=”His Majesty the King with award winners and celebrity supporters” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-quote” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Libre Bodoni|||on|||||” header_2_text_align=”center” header_2_text_color=”#333333″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] Now, Whiteley will continue to work with the King\u2019s Trust to help support women and girls in building the confidence and skills necessary for success at work. Knowing all that she does now, what advice would she give her younger self? \u2018I would say: trust the journey and be kind to yourself along the way. It\u2019s okay not to have everything figured out right away and growth takes time. Don\u2019t be afraid to take risks or make mistakes, because those experiences shape who you become. And remember, being present in the moment is key!\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] Photos: <\/b>Getty<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The A-list model is opening up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":12099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-news"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"guestgrazia","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12096"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12104,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12096\/revisions\/12104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}‘trust the journey.’<\/h2>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]