People: Aug. 20, 2001

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There's no denying it. At 36, LINDA EVANGELISTA is one old biddy. But give her credit. After several years of voluntary retirement from the fashion world, Evangelista has somehow managed to pull it all together for a comeback, gracing the cover of September's monstrous, 3-lb. 13.7-oz. issue of Vogue. (The magazine costs more to mail--$6.45--than to buy--$3.95--and weighs more than several of the models featured inside.) "We're very excited," says Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour of Evangelista's return. "We've been having an ongoing conversation with Linda for some time, letting her know that if she wanted to come back, we would love to have her." Wintour adds that industry response to Evangelista's return has been strong. "All the designers have been calling me, saying, 'Can't you persuade her to do our campaigns?' and 'Will she do the runway?'" Evangelista, who left modeling after some shaky runway performances in 1998, isn't talking about why she returned or what her future plans are. Presumably, she's just happy to show she can still walk unassisted.