Linda Rodin On Her New Book and Her Ever Iconic Style
Words by Juan Eckersley
Linda Rodin reflects on a life guided by instinct, style, and creative curiosity in her new visual memoir Almost an Autobiography. It is an intimate look at staying true to oneself over time.
For many, Linda Rodin has long represented a rare expression of ageless chic, a woman whose life and style continue to expand our understanding of beauty, confidence and creative reinvention. With the release of her new visual memoir Almost an Autobiography, she offers something intimate and reflective. The book traces the emotional texture of a life shaped by instinct, curiosity and a profound love of the visual world.
Rodin’s relationship with beauty began early. One of her most vivid memories is returning home from school at nine years old and discovering that her mother had completely transformed their kitchen. As she recalls it, “my mother had wallpapered the entire kitchen with wallpaper that had a black ground with beautiful royal blue flowers. It was the first moment I knew something was unique in my world.” That sense of wonder became a quiet thread running through her early years.
“I was always detail oriented for as long as I can remember”
Growing up around her mother’s antique shop, she developed a fascination with objects and the stories they held. She remembers spending long stretches of time studying textures and shapes, absorbing the small details that others might overlook. “I was always detail oriented for as long as I can remember,” she says. That instinctive attention has since become one of the defining signatures of her creative life.
As she moved through the world, Rodin’s personal style emerged with the same clarity. Silver hair, large glasses and bright lipstick have become part of her daily rhythm, a look that feels more like an extension of her identity than a crafted image. “I feel most comfortable because it is my look and I have rarely felt the urge to change it,” she notes. Her consistency says something powerful about self expression. It is not about resisting change but about embracing what feels true. Even as she approaches seventy eight, she holds this with lightness and humor, suggesting that reinvention is not always the path to authenticity. Sometimes steadiness is its own form of freedom.
This uncomplicated approach extends into her beauty philosophy. At a moment when routines can feel increasingly layered, Rodin keeps hers rooted in simplicity. “I cleanse my face at night, pat my skin softly to keep it a bit moist and then add a moisturizer.” It is a ritual that has remained unchanged for years, a small reminder that care can be both gentle and effective.
Her handbag essentials echo this sense of clarity. “I have my lipstick, a very small mirror, moisturizer for my lips and a credit card.” These are not adornments but practical companions, chosen thoughtfully and carried lightly.
“I feel most comfortable because it is my look and I have rarely felt the urge to change it”
RODIN Olio Lusso remains one of the most beloved modern beauty stories, a line she created long before clean beauty became a trend. Its cult status endures, yet today Rodin sees her creative energy moving in new directions. “My creative energy lives elsewhere,” she says with certainty. The beauty line was only one chapter. Since then she has designed dog accessories, denim, eyewear and now a book that stands as one of her most personal achievements.
Creating Almost an Autobiography allowed her to view the full sweep of her life with a kind of tender distance. “What it did show me is that I had a wonderful and very rich life and seeing it all in beautiful images that express my life so well was a gift to myself.” Revisiting old photographs and memories did not spark pride in the traditional sense but a deeper recognition. “It reinforced who I am and who I was from a very early age. Aside from the physical changes we all go through, I am still that little girl curious and creative and forever starting a new adventure.”
Now that the book has made its way into the world, Rodin is granting herself a pause. She describes this moment as one meant for quiet satisfaction. “I will let joy simmer in me for a while,” she says. After that, she is open to whatever may rise within her next. “Who knows what will bubble up inside me. But I am sure it will be something.”
Her journey continues to evolve, guided not by pressure or expectation but by intuition. What remains constant is her ability to move through life with clarity, curiosity and a creative spirit that never seems to slow.
Almost an Autobiography
$350
5 Volumes
Full set: 7" x 8.5" x 5"
Almost an Autobiography is more than a personal archive. It is a reminder that beauty expands when we choose to live in alignment with who we have always been.