Monica Lewinsky: From slut-shamed White House intern to fronting fashion’s hottest brand

Monica Lewinsky looks almost unrecognisable as she fronts a major fashion campaign more than two decades after she was the victim of a cruel slut-shaming scandal over her affair with Bill Clinton.

Ms Lewinsky’s glamorous modelling debut is part of a move by sustainable fashion house Reformation to urge people to vote in the 2024 US elections.

The 50-year-old was chosen as the face of the “You’ve Got the Power” workwear campaign with the brand describing the former White House intern as a personal hero to young women.

It marks a remarkable shift in public appeal for Ms Lewinsky, who was aged 22 when she started the affair with the then 50-year-old US President Clinton.

When details emerged of their relationship, Mr Clinton infamously denied it before admitting to “inappropriate intimate physical contact” with Ms Lewinsky, who is 27 years younger than him.

For Ms Lewinsky, who is now same age as the ex president at the time of their 18-month affair, the subsequent media storm led to years of hurtful slut-shaming with the internet, still in its early days, heightening the scandal.

The abuse was unrelenting, even leading to Ms Lewinsky wanting to take her own life.

Speaking for the first time publicly in 2015, she gave a TED talk in which she revealed her mother would make her shower with the bathroom door open, and that she would “sit by her bed every night”.

Seven years on, Ms Lewinsky, as an anti-bullying activist and author, has taken control of her destiny and has changed public opinion – although many have always supported her.

Picked by Reformation for its campaign in partnership with Vote.org represents another move forward, while also raising the profile of the US election in November, which could see Donald Trump return to power.

Pictured wearing a red two-piece linen ensemble from the fashion brand’s Moya collection priced at £298, she appeared on the company website alongside a quote from here which says “voting is using your voice to be heard and it’s the most defining aspect of democracy”.

Words accompanying a photograph of her wearing a black and white Lysander dress, also priced at £298, explain why Reformation has chosen Ms Lewinsky to front its campaign.

It said: “Monica’s been empowering women to use their voices and feel powerful for a long time. So it just makes sense that she’d help us do the same. And while great clothes won’t fix everything, putting them on and going to the polls is a pretty good place to start.”

In an interview with Elle published on Monday, Ms Lewinsky said: “I don’t know if this will sound corny but I think a way that women can feel more empowered is by recognizing places that they may need more assistance and asking for that assistance.”

For its campaign, Reformation lists information for people on how to register to vote. The brand said it has also made a £20,000 donation to Vote.org, which works to encourage people to participate in the voting process.