Sailor Brinkley-Cook Reveals Mom Christie Brinkley Taught Her Not to Be a Diva at Work

Sailor Brinkley-Cook has an exceptional teacher in her mother - model and entrepreneur Christie Brinkley. She has graced hundreds of magazine covers throughout her celebrated career, including three consecutive SI Swimsuit covers, and as a business mogul, has founded Bellissima Prosecco, a line of organic sparkling wines. So when it comes to professional advice, Sailor has a go-to source for guidance. The model and activist spoke to People about her work in the new Silk Nextmilk campaign and disclosed a piece of advice mom Christie Brinkley gave her, that she carries with her to this day.

“Her biggest advice when it comes to being on a set would be just to be as gracious as you can. I always try and introduce myself to everyone in the room. And I always try and acknowledge everyone in the room,” she told the publication. “Because I mean, my job is almost pretty much the easiest. That's what she taught me, is to really acknowledge my surroundings while I'm in it and not be a diva and have fun with the creatives that I'm working with." 

This is not the first time Brinkley has reflected on her similarities with her mother. They seem to share a lot in common, not just career-wise but also regarding style. In another interview, Sailor said "Sometimes I'll ask to borrow something, and I'll be like, 'Oh my God, this is so cute,' and she'll tell me, 'Okay, but you have to give it back.' And then she forgets!" She admitted that she's held onto a few pieces due to that exact situation, and when she wears them again, her mom remembers where they came from. "She'll remind me it's hers, and I just tell her she never asked for it back!" she added. "It's always those loopholes with moms, where you're like, 'You can't really be that angry. I'm your child.'"

Sailor Brinkley-Cook debuted in Silk Nextmilk's plant-based drinks campaign. The commercial mirrors her mother, Christie Brinkley's old 'Got Milk?' advertisement from the 1990s. "I think those ads are so iconic and bringing that into this new world of being plant-based and having these amazing alternatives is so fun," Sailor said. "I think my mom is also so iconic, so anything that I can do in my life to make her proud is exciting to me."

Brinkley-Cook is a three-time SI Swimsuit model who recently partnered with Silk Nextmilk for a campaign that playfully mimics her mother’s Got Milk? ads from the mid-90s. According to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, in 2017, she was featured in the SI Swimsuit magazine alongside her sister, Alexa Ray Joel and her mother Christie, who returned to the magazine more than 40 years after her debut.