Cornelia Guest on Growing Up as an ‘80s Socialite, Animal Advocacy and Her Beauty Secrets (EXCLUSIVE)
From Studio 54 nights to animal rescue, Cornelia shares it all
You may recognize Cornelia Guest from her many years in the limelight—from landing on the cover of Vogue at age 1 to becoming Debutant of the Decade in 1986. She’s dipped her toe in the acting pool, appearing in projects like Twin Peaks (2017) and Oh, Canada (2024), been shoulder-to-shoulder with fashion designers and rock stars alike and stunned in amazing fashion pieces.
As the daughter of C.Z. Guest and Winston Frederick Churchill Guest, Cornelia Guest was no stranger to the spotlight. Now, Guest is working hard fighting for animal rights and a cruelty-free world while also enjoying the company of her many pets.
Woman’s World had a chance to speak with Cornelia Guest to discuss growing up as a socialite in New York City, her favorite and least favorite fashion moments and her best beauty tips.
Woman’s World: You have lived a very exciting and full life — is there something that specifically sticks out as a favorite memory?
Cornelia Guest: I’m incredibly down to earth. My favorite place to be is with my dogs in a field or whatever animals are around. I think that that is the most important thing in my life that keeps me so grounded. I just love nature and I love animals. Luckily I’ve had passion all my life that has kept me interested in everything and always trying to make the world a better place for them.
WW: What was it like growing up in the spotlight? What elements of that kind of life helped you to grow and what was a challenge for you?
CG: I don’t think you ever really realize that you’re in the spotlight because you’re a child and you’re growing up. However we’re raised, that’s the norm for us. As we get older, we realize maybe some things aren’t normal, some things are normal. But my mother was very disciplined and so I was very lucky to have that, and she instilled that in me. So, I think that to be disciplined and to have passions in life can get you through anything.
And your friends are your friends. It doesn’t matter what they do or who they are. I think that’s because you’re all trying to live the most normal life and be true to who you are. And as you grow up, you learn who that is more and more.
WW: While growing up, you were shoulder-to-shoulder with some big names. Let’s talk about your friendships with people like Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Halston and any other friends that you made along the way.
CG: They were all such incredibly creative people, Andy and Halston and all of them. And I think they were all following their passion for things they loved, and they were also interested in everything.
WW: You’ve attended the met gala with your mother, C.Z. Guest, and society balls—did you have a favorite event?
CG: My favorite, which I thought was the most beautifully done, was Valentino’s 25th anniversary in Rome. They had a party in the Coliseum, a dinner in the Borghese Garden, they did an exhibition of all his clothes and it was so beautiful to see that body of work. And Valentino and Giancarlo [Giametti], nobody does a dinner like them. It was just the most spectacular weekend.
WW: New York nightlife is different today, but was there a favorite place that you liked to go in the city?
CG: There was Studio 54, Xenon… I mean, Area was so cool and all these great places, so we hopped around.
WW: When you look back at ’80s fashion, what’s your feeling about it?
CG: I had some beautiful dresses from Halston, so I was lucky to be dressed by unbelievably talented people, but I made a few mistakes. I remember I wore this one white dress, and put this big bow around the neck, and I saw my mother, and she’s, like, “What is wrong with you? You look like a clown.” I thought, “I’m very avant-garde.’ And I remember seeing a picture of it later and I was like, yep, I looked like a clown. Mother is always right.
WW: Fashion always makes a comeback, as we’ve seen ‘90s fashion return. Is there a specific decade of fashion that you would love to wear forever or one that you just never want to see again?
CG: Well, my style has really not changed. I still am very classic with a twist. I still wear twin sets. I still wear jeans, I wear pants. I still wear stuff that I’ve had for 20, 30 years. I like very tailored stuff. I think once you find something you like, you should stick with it.
WW: You’re a passionate animal rights advocate, committed to finding animals new homes. Talk a little bit more about what inspired your advocacy.
CG: What inspired my animal advocacy was the mistreatment. Right now my major concern is wild horses. I do a lot with wild horse conservation. In these roundups, they chase these poor creatures that are just the most majestic, beautiful creatures you could ever see. And they’re chased in the most disgusting, horrific ways. And they’re terrified. We have 67,000 horses in holding pens, and it costs the Bureau of Land Management around a hundred million a year to feed them. So, it’s a big fight right now. And hopefully we’ll be able to stop these roundups.
I work with shelters, and people don’t spay animals. But if your dog has 12 puppies, what are you going to do with it? You can’t afford it. You can’t afford the food for the one you have. And these shelters are so overwhelmed. We want to set up clinics so people can come in and have free vaccination and free spay, because people don’t want to give up dogs. People love animals, but it’s expensive.
WW: Tell me about all of your pets.
CG: I have Pearl, a Harlequin Great Dane, and she was a rescue. I have three great Danes and my little Jack Russell, Winston, who’s 19 and he’s going blind. He’s the cutest thing, so sweet. Wolf, who’s a Blue Merle and he’s a big guy. He’s 200 pounds. And then I have a baby…well, she’s a year old now. And I got her from Save Rocky: The Great Dane Rescue. She was found on the side of the road at six weeks. I adore them. And then I have many horses and donkeys that I’ve rescued.
Recently I got pigs, Penelope and Mabel. They’re adorable. Then we have chickens and peacocks and turkeys and goats. So, I have a little menagerie. They’re all happy.
We took a mule and a donkey, Johnny and June, last year. I don’t know what happened to this poor mule, but he would just see someone and start shaking uncontrollably and now he’ll come say hi to you. He’s in a field with everybody else, and he’s so cute. His best friend, June, is always with him. It’s wonderful to see the relationships that these creatures have with each other.
WW: In terms of your acting career, what excites you the most about stepping back in front of the camera and taking on a new role?
CG: To go into somebody else’s skin is so much fun and I work with great people. Paul Schrader from Oh Canada was amazing. I love all his movies. And David Lynch, God bless his heart, he passed away recently. I mean, he was a master. So, I’ve been very lucky and I love it.
It’s something that I’ve loved all my life. It’s interesting, because people don’t see me in that life. People are, like, “Oh, she’s a social person.” I’m like, “Well, I’m really not.” People see what they want to see in life. They put people in a certain window, and that’s how they always see them.
WW: What are some of your best beauty secrets?
CG: I am a firm believer in washing your face, especially at night, because I think we get so much grime, especially in the summer, on our faces. You have to keep your skin really clean and you have to use what works. I love witch hazel.
I try to use as much clean beauty as I can. I had a wonderful woman that always told me that when it was cold out, you had to wear a tinted moisturizer or some sort of foundation to protect your skin. I like tinted moisturizers. They’re light and you can just put them on. I’ll wear a tinted moisturizer, do some eyebrows, a little mascara and just a lip gloss and off I go.
I’ve never been one to wear a lot of makeup. I think it’s aging for me to wear a lot of makeup. Sometimes I wore so much makeup when I was younger, but makeup’s fun. Eyeshadow is fun. And now there’s so many different brands. It’s unbelievable.
WW: If you could go back to one moment in your life and relive it, what would it be?
CG: It would be a holiday with my parents. I was 17 when my dad died, so it would definitely be something when I was maybe 16 or I was with my parents.
Conversation
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