Name : Carmen Kass
Occupation : Actor/Model
Date of Birth : September 14, 1978
Place of Birth : Mao Anikula, Estonia
Sign : Virgo
Carmen Kass was born September 14,
1978, in Tallinn, Estonia. Raised by her mother in Paide -- where
Carmen was probably the only fashionable and glamorous thing about
the city -- the blue-eyed brunette won the Miss Paide crown and
secured her royal position as Miss Jrvamma afterwards.
A 14-year-old Carmen Kass
had already received recognition by the time she was discovered in a
supermarket in Tallinn by an Italian modeling scout. She was ready
to set her sights higher and go for the Miss Estonia title, but the
offer to fly to Milan to jump start a modeling career seemed like a
more glamorous and lucrative option.
Despite her mother's disapproval of
Carmen Kass being whisked away to Milan, Carmen found a way to go by
forging her mother's signature of "approval". Carmen was
off to Milan for the next three months, ready to start her career as
one of today's supermodels.
After being represented in her native
Estonia by a small agency called "Baltic Models", Carmen
Kass moved to Paris at the age of 18. She received exposure on the
cover of magazines worldwide, namely L'Officiel and Vogue (France)
in 1997, Elle (Australia), Image (UK), Madame Figaro, Numero France,
Vogue (France), and Vogue (US) in 1999.
In 1999, Carmen was also one of the
fashion runways' hottest commodities. She strutted down the catwalks
for the top designers in the world such as: Alberta Ferretti, Anna
Sui, BCBG, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Dior, DKNY,
Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferré, Gianni Versace, Gucci, Jill
Stuart, MaxMara, Michael Kors, Moschino, Nicole Miller, Prada, Oscar
de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Gianni Versace, Louis
Vuitton, and Valentino.
Although now Carmen Kass has become a
sought-after model for big advertising campaigns, we can't say she
started small either. She has posed in advertisements for Calvin
Klein, Chanel, Donna Karan, General Motors, Guy Laroche, Krizia, and
Versace.
She is most recognized for the Gap
denim advertising campaign, which shouldn't have made it hard for
the company to make jeans a popular item again.
Carmen is presently a spokesperson
for Sephora, one of the world's leading cosmetics retailers, and the
Christian Dior perfume, "J'adore".
Presently residing in New York,
Carmen Kass has become a staple for the two biggest American fashion
magazines, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Carmen is represented by
"Women" in New York, and "City" in Paris, while
she has reportedly bought part of her first agency, "Baltic
Models".
When she's not cuddling up to her
public relations/marketing boyfriend, Richie Akiva, Carmen keeps
herself busy with sports and exercise, horseback riding, obsessively
checking her email, and kicking butt in chess.
It's clear that even off the
chessboard, Carmen's making all the right moves as the 2000
VH1/Vogue's "Model of the Year" (Gisele Bundchen's
successor) and as the quintessential beauty of the post-waif
generation.
DISCOVERED: Carmen won
several beauty pageants, including Miss Paide and Miss Jarvamaa
County, before she was discovered by an Italian model scout in a
supermarket in Paide, a village outside Tallinn, Estonia. She
started modeling for a local agency, called "Baltic
Models" when she was 14. Her single mother, a waitress, refused
to sign the papers that would allow her daughter to fly to Milan for
three months so "I faked her signature!" says Kass.
AGENCY: New York -
Woman Model Management, Paris - City Models
RÉSUMÉ: Won the
2000 VH1/Vogue Model of the Year award (the year after Gisele won
it.) Models for Christian Dior, Versace, Chanel, Max Mara,
Valentino, Donna Karan, Ungaro, the Gap and Victoria's Secret.
KNOWN FOR: Being one
of the biggest, newest up-and-coming supermodels.
HOME: New York City
and Paris
SWEETIE: Richie
Akiva, 23, does public relations/marketing for Nike.
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