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Schiffer returns to catwalk

The 30-year-old made a cameo appearance at Balmain's spring-summer 2000 show as a favour to the company's new designer Gilles Dufour.

The two became friends while working for Chanel - Schiffer was the label's top model and Dufour worked as an assistant to fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld.

Schiffer's return to the catwalk comes just one year after she told an Italian newspaper she would never model again, "not even in Paris".

Although not seen in Dufour's range of hot-pants-style bikinis and 'monokinis', Schiffer stole the show.

The catwalk star kicked off Dufour's second collection for Balmain in a T-shirt bearing the company's logo.

Schiffer, one of the world's highest paid models, went on to don a variety of creations in pastel chiffons, liberally sprinkled with rhinestones.

In her time away from the fashion world Schiffer has been pursuing a career in acting.

Following cameos in 1994's Richie Rich and Robert Altman's catwalk satire Prêt-à-Porter, she has taken on more demanding roles.

She starred alongside Hollywood heavyweights Dennis Hopper and Matthew Modine in Abel Ferrara's 1997 film Blackout.

She has just completed Black and White, in which she shares the screen with Robert Downey Jr and Brooke Shields.

The model is currently working on a film project with Jeff Goldblum and Wild Wild West star Salma Hayek.

Despite wanting to be taken seriously as an actress, it is the break-up of Schiffer's relationship with magician David Copperfield which has made the headlines.

Newspapers have recently linked her to Green Shield Stamps heir Tim Jefferies.

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