BEAUTY and the MALL : Public Appearance Poses No Perils for Model Paulina

So what happens when the most photographed fashion model in the cosmos comes to a mall in the San Fernando Valley on a given Friday?

She attracts 300 people, is handed a rose by a trembling admirer, tells a blushing young man to relax and is presented a pamphlet protesting the mistreatment of animals.

Paulina Porizkova, whose face and figure have graced Sports Illustrated swimsuit layouts, calendars and “Late Night with David Letterman,” appeared at Robinson’s Department Store in the Northridge Fashion Center for an hour to promote a new fragrance line.

Model Signs Photos

Porizkova entered to applause and camera flashes, surrounded by an entourage that included many security officers. She wore a slinky black turtlenecked dress, and her hair was pulled back in a bun.

The hour passed quickly as she sat at a table signing black-and-white photos of herself for fans who were whisked up for a few frenzied moments with her. A young man blushed. “He’s blushing,” announced one of Porizkova’s entourage.

“Relax,” she told the admirer, fanning him with one of the photos.

Women in the line outnumbered men. Most said they were getting autographs for husbands or boyfriends.

A woman in her 20s named Lisa asked Porizkova if she had a cat. Porizkova nodded. The woman handed her a brochure and asked if she would light a candle for tortured pets and “put in a good word in your prayers for the animals.”

“I will,” the model said. The woman declined an autographed photo.

A Cal State Northridge student, Monica Rivas, 18, showed Porizkova a portfolio with hundreds of Paulina photos, magazine covers and layouts. Porizkova grew excited. She said she had never seen some of the pictures, including one that she said “makes me look like I’ve got three eyes.”

Many admirers told the model she had rare, natural beauty. But, as she told one woman: “I have split ends that look like Brillo pads.”