Karen Elson

Karen Jill Elson (born 14 January 1979) is an English model, singer-songwriter and guitarist. 2Early life and education Elson was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and attended North Chadderton School as a child, with her twin sister, filmmaker Kate Elson. 2Modeling She began working as a model as a teenager and was discovered at age 16 by Debra Burns, the owner of Boss Model Management in Manchester. Elson's first success came when Steven Meisel shot her for the cover of Italian Vogue on her 18th birthday. She has worked with most of the world's major fashion photographers and fashion designers, including Arthur Elgort, Bruce Weber, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Mert and Marcus, Steven Klein, Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Ellen Von Unwerth. She has walked the runways of many top designers including Marc Jacobs (which she did while pregnant), Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, YSL, Alexander McQueen, Dior and Gucci. She has appeared in international campaigns for dozens of designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Christian Dior, Burberry and Chanel. Her list of magazine covers include over 30 international editions of Vogue as well as W, Dazed & Confused, Numéro, British Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, Lula, Foam Magazine and Nylon. In 1998 she won the title of Model of the Year at the VH1 Fashion Awards. Photographed by Steven Meisel, she was presented on the September 2004 cover of American Vogue as one of the "Models of the Moment