When the camera flashes died down, the truth was far from glamorous. Victoire Maçon-Dauxerre, once one of the world’s most sought-after models, reveals what happens when beauty comes at a price counted in apple cores and bone-deep scars.
From Fashion’s Newest Star to a Descent Into Darkness
At just 18, Victoire Maçon-Dauxerre’s life changed dramatically when a scout from Elite agency spotted her on the street. The whirlwind that followed was straight out of a fashion fairy tale—runways, shoots, and adoring crowds. But the price for that ticket to the top was steep. Very steep. Behind the scenes, Victoire was spiraling, her daily existence dominated not by dreams, but by the relentless pressure to shrink herself to fit into impossibly tiny clothes.
Her daily diet? Just three apples a day, with fish or chicken eaten only once a week. That’s not a typo: three apples. Shedding ten kilos in just two months, she soon found herself weighing less than 47 kilograms, stretched across 1.78 meters of height. “The more weight I lost, the fatter I felt,” she revealed. The emotional toll followed closely behind: anxiety, deep distress, and relentless stress. She told Vanity Fair, “My anxiety expressed itself through food and I forced myself to eat only three apples, telling myself I’d go back to normal later. But a voice in my head stopped me, and I was always afraid of no longer fitting into the clothes.”
An Ordeal Written on Skin and Bones
This “apple-only” regime was all in a desperate bid to squeeze into size 32-34 garments, with each meal—or lack thereof—serving up more than just hunger. Victoire’s body transformed into a fragile hanger, her own mother one day catching sight of her naked in the bathroom and reeling back at the sight of her “skeletal” child. That moment was a wake-up call: her mother, seeing starvation in her own daughter’s eyes, rushed to bring her a roast chicken—an entire chicken, which Victoire devoured. Far from glamour and sequins, this was a hard, hungry reality.
The consequences, Victoire says, weren’t just physical. What began as a strict regimen to fit the mold soon spiraled into full-blown mental anorexia, an emotional free-fall, and constant stress. “I was wanted, certainly, but I was wanted thin. I was beautiful because I was thin. That was my only value,” she reflected. And with her anxiety tangled up in food, normal eating became impossible. She explained that anorexia is a vicious cycle, and the ultimate irony was that, even while being urged to lose more weight, her photos were frequently altered—adding thighs here, cheeks there. Even her apparent flaws had to be faked.
Surviving the Aftermath
Eventually, the cost became overwhelming. After she stepped away from modeling, Victoire fell into bulimia, deep depression, and eventually attempted suicide. Admitted to a psychiatric clinic, she confronted the shadows stalking the catwalks—trauma, pain, and the collateral damage left behind by an industry obsessed with thinness.
And yet, she found her feet again. In 2016, Victoire published her brutally honest memoir, revealing the behind-the-scenes atrocities of fashion in « Jamais Trop Maigre. Journal d’un Top Model. » After her experiences, she redirected her life, moving to London to resume her studies. She later worked at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, immersing herself in the world of stage and performance. “Seeing people perform inspired me to take to the stage myself. Then I went through the dramatic arts conservatory, and it was therapeutic. I reconnected my body and my mind,” she explained to Vanity Fair.
Today, Victoire plays Vanessa, chef of the Spoon, in the daily series « Demain nous appartient » on TF1. She also has a role in the acclaimed Vikings series and is currently co-producing a film adaptation of her book. She’s still passionate about making positive change—actively involved with associations like Imhotep and the Ateliers Mercure think tank, which develops new health policies.
From Pain to Activism: Five Years and More
Five years after revealing her devastating experience, Victoire has turned her ordeal into activism. She speaks out against the cult of thinness in modeling and fashion, determined to fight the criminal expectation of “making a sick body into an ideal of beauty.”
- She shares her story widely, to help others who are struggling.
- She works with associations dedicated to health and new policies in the fashion industry.
- She champions reconnecting mind and body—because real beauty isn’t about what you can fit into, but about the life you fill out.
Let’s be real—three apples a day is not a diet, it’s a desperate cry for help. As Victoire’s journey shows, sometimes the bravest thing we can do is step off the runway and reclaim our own worth, one nourishing meal (or roast chicken) at a time.
John is a curious mind who loves to write about diverse topics. Passionate about sharing his thoughts and perspectives, he enjoys sparking conversations and encouraging discovery. For him, every subject is an invitation to discuss and learn.
