Jesinta Campbell: 'Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover'

It’s mere hours until the David Jones show, and Jesinta Campbell is bursting with excitement. The newly appointed brand ambassador is dressed in a chic scarlet Lover dress, her newly dyed brunette locks swinging from her shoulders in this season’s trendiest cut – but she remains as down-to-earth today as when she first hit the fashion scene.

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When asked how she feels about joining the DJs family, she admits to pinching herself.

“It’s so exciting! It doesn’t feel real,” says Campbell. “I feel like someone is about to jump out from behind my change room and say, ‘just joking!’

“David Jones is such a great company and getting to work alongside people like Jess (Gomes) and Montana (Cox) and Jason (Dundas) is unbelievable. I feel like we’re a real little family.”

Campbell, who drew admiration for her abs in the spring/summer show, admits it takes a lot of work to get in the kind of shape that she is, but that exercise is simply a part of her daily routine now.

“I try to stay in shape all year round, because you never know when someone is going to call you for a shoot,” says Campbell. “I try to maintain a certain level of fitness but I definitely amp it up before the David Jones show – particularly for spring/summer. Those abs aren’t there all year round!”

Campbell stresses the importance of moving every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. The model also trains with fellow brand ambassador Jessica Gomes in the boxing ring.

“We didn’t get to do it this morning,” Campbell says. “I only had half an hour, so I went out and did some stretches and an ab workout. But Jess has really gotten me into boxing and I can’t wait to have another session with her. I look up to her on so many levels.”

When it comes to food, Campbell has a few tricks up her sleeve (aha!). The model admits to carrying a jar of miso paste around in her handbag, which she puts on gluten-free bread as a snack.

“You’re so on the run before a show, it becomes difficult to find the time to eat,” Campbell explains. “I’m really into soups at the moment – I usually have a miso paste that I take everywhere. I put it on gluten-free bread whenever I’m peckish. It’s fermented, so it’s like vegemite. I add a little avocado and it’s a really healthy snack – much better than reaching for the chocolate.”

For lunch before the show, Campbell tucked into a seaweed salad, some poached eggs and a miso – and from the looks of her clear complexion, her diet is definitely doing the job.

“If I have months where I eat healthy and exercise, my skin looks really good,” says Campbell. “I don’t wear any makeup to the gym – and I felt a bit self-conscious about that at first, but the thing is, it’s so amazing for your skin. It’s like a steam cleanse for your face!”

Speaking of skincare, what’s her secret? Apparently, the less is more approach is key.

“I try to minimise the amount of product going on to my face as well,” Campbell says. “You should almost be able to eat your skincare. But before a show, sometimes I can get stress pimples – I try and eradicate those with a bit of toothpaste!

“I’m a big believer in cleansing and taking all of my makeup off. That’s really important. Most of the time I use Dermalogica products. They don’t have a lot of ingredients in them and I think that’s key. One of the main pieces of beauty advice I can give is to turn the product you’re using over and actually check the label. If there’s a million things in there you can’t pronounce, it’s best to stay away."

While Campbell is a strong, healthy role model for women, she acknowledges that it isn’t always an easy industry for others.

When asked about the French introducing a law to monitor models they deem to thin, she’s quick to defend all body types.

“The hard thing with that is, that everyone is different - you can't judge a book by its cover,” says Campbell. “So if you look at a girl and think she’s unhealthy, you’ll be making a poor assumption, because you don’t know if they’re just naturally like that.

“You can’t put a blanket on it and say someone has to be a certain BMI. It has to be a case-by-case basis - you don’t know if someone is on medication or what their background might be.

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“I do think it’s really important for models to get regular health checks – our schedules are really grueling and we do so many different things in a day. But someone’s weight can’t be taken at face value – you can be healthy from a size 6 to a sixteen.”