Claudia Schiffer believes there is more "pressure" on young models these days

She said: "It's very much about the model of the moment, with constant change. It's much more fast-paced.

"Fundamentally, fashion is the same, but when I started out I didn't even have a mobile phone.

"You were able to concentrate creatively much more, because there were no distractions.

"Now, there's added pressure. If you want to have success, it's not just about your fashion pictures, or how many fashion shows you do, or who you are working with.

"You have to be much, much more. You have to stand out, and how do you do that? Through digital [social media]. There, you can showcase yourself."

And Claudia - who has children Caspar, 14, Clementine, 13, and seven-year-old Cosima with husband Matthew Vaughn - is grateful there was no social media when she began her career because she is too "private" to feel comfortable sharing much of her life with others.

She added in an interview with Net-a-Porter's The Edit magazine: "I'm glad I didn't have that when I started out, because I don't think I would have been able to do it.

"You have to reveal so much about yourself, so many private things, and I'm a very private person, and quite shy. I do a little bit of Instagram, I enjoy it, but it's limited to what I want to reveal.

"And if I did any more, I don't think I would have time for anything else, because it's a full-on job."

But the German beauty thinks fashion is much more "civilised" these days with the models not pushed to work so hard.

She said: "I know [modelling has] changed a lot today - it's much more civilized - but back then [you worked] 'til 4am, and then took a 7am plane somewhere else."

However, Claudia wouldn't have had it any other way.

She added: "The one thing I didn't want was to look at myself and go, 'I didn't succeed because I said no.' I never wanted to have that regret."