Niki Taylor: Back and Better Than Ever

A Supermodel with Staying Power

Under the warm lights in a loft in New York City, Niki Taylor is smiling -- that electric, girl-next-door grin that makes you want to just stop and shoot the breeze. No matter that her face has graced more than 400 magazine covers worldwide. Niki will always be the friend you want to hang with -- the woman practically radiates confidence, despite the challenges life has handed her (the death of her younger sister in 1995, a near-fatal car accident seven years ago, raising twin boys as a single mom). Taylor's resiliency is perhaps her most striking feature. Now that she's in her 30s, her body is more curvy than stick-thin, a fact she is fine with and, in an industry that rewards super-skinny over super-healthy, another example of how Taylor is doing things her way.

FITNESS: You're a supermodel with staying power. That's rare! How have things changed since you started working in the business?

Niki: It was a different generation back then. There were only a few true supermodels: It was a title you had to earn. I was young when I got to New York. I camped out in my agent's tiny apartment with my dad. It really wasn't glamorous. I had to work for everything I got, and I've never lost sight of that.

FITNESS: What do you think about the way models are getting skinnier and skinnier?

Niki: I was only 14 when I began modeling, and I was skinny too. I started working with a trainer at age 16 to help my body get more definition; I had my babies when I was 19. Now I'm in my 30s and I've got curves. So my body has gone through many changes. Yes, there is a lot of pressure from the industry, but I think women are prettiest when they look like women.