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Brooke Shields recalls her struggles and failures in powerful commencement speech at Fashion Institute of Technology

Published: 02:31 EST, 22 May 2015 | Updated: 05:25 EST, 22 May 2015

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She's a beauty and acting icon.

But Brooke Shields recalled her struggles to return to the world of acting when she delivered an heartfelt speech to the graduating class of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York on Thursday.

The 49-year-old dispensed a few pearls of wisdom to the new degree holders at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Congrats grads! Brooke Shields dispensed pearls of wisdom when she spoke at the graduation for Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City on Thursday

Sporting the traditional cap and gown, Brooke looked radiant with glossy red lips and smoky eye shadow.

While her flawless face is ordinarily the centre of attention, Brooke was certain to impress graduates with her long history as a fashion model.

Having graced numerous covers of Vogue, Brooke is widely known for her iconic gig as a model for Calvin Klein.

Genuine: The graduates were certain to be in awe of their speaker's long history in entertainment

The actress caused a stir when she declared as a teenager, 'You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.'

On Thursday, Brooke praised the fashion school graduates and jokingly remembered her early attempts at entering the beauty world.

The actress said, according to New York Magazine, 'I was approached a few times, actually, in the past to create my own perfume line. And in every instance, they just wanted my face on the bottle or in the ads. They didn’t want any of my input.

Proud: The actress appeared emotional during her moment on the stage

'And I wanted to be a part of the actual creation of the scent, and they didn’t want that. So I wanted to be represented a certain way, they wouldn’t do it so I walked away.'

However, all that changed once Brooke began doing business with M.A.C.

'When M.A.C approached me, it took years to create the line. I learned from the best, obviously, but I was a part of every single detail.'

Moving: Shields flashed a thumbs up at one point, and was still and present in other moments of the ceremony

She added: 'And it was very, very successful. In the first hour it actually sold out. Unlike the Brooke Shields hair dryers from 1986 - I have about 1,200 of them left in my garage.'

Brooke also recalled how difficult it was to return to the entertainment industry after she graduated from Princeton in 1987.

'I could not get a movie, a play, a TV show, or even an ad campaign to save my life. I felt so lost and derailed, because all I had ever known was working.'

Good as gold! The Endless Love star made a chic arrival to an event at The Public Theater in New York on Thursday

Radiant: The mother-of-two was poised under the spotlight

However, the star remembered putting herself to good use during her period of unemployment.

'So I got real busy. I tried to find work in any way that I could. I always believe in continuing to work while you don’t have a job.'

Brooke has come a long way since her post-graduation days, and managed to remain busy with a slew of TV roles.

She found success in the comedy series Suddenly Susan, which ran for four years, and is now mother to daughters Grier, 9, and Rowan, 12, with her husband Chris Henchy.