When CoverGirl Cosmetics announced that model Maye Musk would be the face of their next campaign, it was a major beauty-industry first: At 69 years old, Musk will be the oldest CoverGirl in the brand’s 56-year history. The Canadian-born Musk began modeling at age 15 in South Africa, and holds two master’s degrees in dietetics and nutritional science. Musk’s career in fashion was unexpectedly given new life when she was signed by IMG Models in 2015. In addition to modeling for Virgin Airlines, Target and Clinique, Musk also appeared in Beyoncé’s 2013 music video “Haunted.” In 2015, Musk was the star of Style’s fall fashion shoot playing a mystical Victorian medium. We talked to the mother of three (her children include filmmaker Tosca, entrepreneur Kimbal and Tesla founder Elon Musk) about her age-celebrating first, how the modeling industry has changed in her five decades on the runways, and whether the term “anti-aging” is over.

Tony Bravo: When we worked together in 2015, the team called you a “supermodel,” which you said wasn’t quite true since you didn’t have the international name recognition or big campaigns on your resume that a Cindy Crawford or a Naomi Campbell has. Do you feel more “super” with your CoverGirl campaign?

Maye Musk: After modeling since I was 15 and pounding the pavement like all models, it’s really great. I never thought I would get a huge campaign like this because as you get older, you don’t expect anyone to come along with a beauty campaign. Now with so much diversity coming in (to modeling) people are wanting older models. I was at an event last night and people were coming up to me to say hi and tell me how great I am. I’m not used to that. I’ve always been a model, but like all models then, our name wasn’t with our work. Even though I might have billboards, my name wasn’t attached to it. Now, when a name is attached to a campaign it adds more to it; then when you add my age to it, that really excites people.

Bravo: What’s the reaction to the announcement been like?

Musk: Women love it. Even when I do a shoot with very young models, they get so excited to know that they can model past 20. They love to sit and talk to me: I let them know there’s ups and downs, and sometimes there’s more work and sometimes you have less. (Older women) are wiser; we’ve been through many bumps in life. It’s easier to go through them once you’ve been through so many. My three kids were very excited. They just think it’s the coolest thing.

Bravo: There’s been a push for all kinds of diversity in modeling lately. In addition to making you the face of their next campaign, CoverGirl in the past year has also brought on James Charles, their first male face of the brand, and Nura Afia, the first hijab-wearing CoverGirl. What do you think is leading this push for wider representation?

Musk: It’s because the customers are a wider range and people are realizing it’s not only teenagers buying clothes, jewelry and makeup: Women in our 60s and 70s do, too! ! Women my age can feel like they’ve been forgotten, that people don’t care about them. When I was 15, I was told at 18 I’ll be done, so of course I got a bachelor of science degree.

Bravo: Really?

Musk: Oh, yes. Models were not over 18 in Johannesburg then. This was the ’60s; they didn’t have older models. But as I got older I just kept on modeling. When I was at New York Fashion Week this last season, I thought the audience was very stimulated, very excited, very fun. Someone said they’re like that when I walk because it’s a surprise to see an older woman walk a runway. This season, I opened and closed the Concept Korea show and also closed the Zero + Maria Cornejo collection.

Bravo: How do you feel about the term “anti-aging” in the beauty industry?

Musk: I don’t have such a big problem with that term. Of course makeup is anti-aging! (laughs). When I put makeup on, I look much younger! And you must eat well. The skin is your largest organ of the body, and if you eat well for your heart, your kidneys, your liver, your skin will be in much better shape. I don’t take any supplements and I don’t juice. It’s not a belief system, I just like to eat my vegetables and my fruit. When they put powders and supplements in juice, that’s a load of nonsense.

Bravo: What’s the most fun part of this moment in your career?

Musk: I like being on the runway. Red carpets are nice but what I love is being on a photo shoot where all these creative people are making beautiful things. It was very special to walk in New York Fashion Week, and the shoot for CoverGirl was the biggest and best I’ve ever done. I had my own trailer with a living room! At one point I said ‘I think I’ll get some grapes’ and they said ‘No, no, we’ll get them for you!’ I suppose that’s the kind of attention a supermodel gets.