page_title: Karen Elson
section_title: Modeling Career
hierarchical_section_title: Karen Elson / Modeling Career
caption_attribution_description: English: Karen Elson at Anna Sui 2011
context_page_description: Karen Jill Elson is an English supermodel and singer-songwriter.
context_section_description: Elson was discovered at age 16 by Debra Burns, the owner of Boss Model Management in Manchester. She began modeling locally and left Oldham a year later. Steven Meisel photographed Elson for the cover of Italian Vogue on her 18th birthday, thus launching her career worldwide. 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, Helmut Newton and Ellen Von Unwerth. 
  Elson's runway modeling credits include: Marc Jacobs, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, YSL, Alexander McQueen, Dior Anna Sui, and Gucci. 
  Elson has over 30 magazine covers to her credit-- international editions of Vogue, W, Dazed & Confused, Numéro, Harper's Bazaar (British), Marie Claire, Elle, Lula, Foam, and Nylon. In September 2008, Elson was on the cover of British Vogue as "Fashion's Red Queen". 
  In 1998 Elson won the title of Model of the Year at the VH1 Fashion Awards. The September 2004 cover of American Vogue featured her as one of the "Models of the Moment". In 2005, she won the British Fashion Award for Best Model.
  It was then announced that Elson was the new face of British department store John Lewis for autumn/winter 2008–09. In the autumn of 2009 she appeared on billboards internationally for H&M.
  She has been in ad campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Christian Dior, Burberry, Trussardi, Roberto Cavalli, Lanvin, and Chanel. For the Tom Ford 2009 spring eyewear advertising campaign, she was photographed, for the first time, by Ford himself. She was the 2010 face for American fashion brand St. John and Karen appeared with sister Kate in the 2011 H&M Holiday campaign. That same year, she was part of Banana Republic's 2011 Holiday Collection. Her cosmetic advertising credits are YSL's Opium perfume and Kose Cosmetics.
  Elson is currently the face of Jo Malone London and represents them worldwide.
  Elson has appeared in many short films and videos, including the music video for the White Stripes song, "Blue Orchid". She has also appeared in fashion films: War Opera, Nick Knight's Andy Warhol-inspired series More Beautiful Women, Craig McDean's 48 Girls, and Bruce Weber's Petit Fleur, Harlequin, Voodoo Daddy, Closer Walk With Thee and Karen's Boogie (all films were made in conjunction with W as a tribute to New Orleans). 
  She acted in the short film Lay Down Lean, a project by the experimental filmmaking team Belles of the Black Diamond Field.
  Elson has contributed to Nick Knight's fashion site SHOWstudio.com since 2002. She also contributed to Knight's project "Moving Fashion" with a black and white video of herself in a sequined gown, perched upon a swing. The images were accompanied by Elson playing the autoharp and singing a verse of Marlene Dietrich's "Falling in Love Again."
  In 2010, she modelled a Patricia Field dress for the Sex and the City Archive in the Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief runway show for the White Ribbon Alliance, an organization aiding mothers in Haiti.
  Elson has designed her own line of shoes, bags and jewellery for fashion brand Nine West. 
  Elson was one of eight British models chosen to walk during a segment at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. She wore a gold gown by Burberry and walked the stadium with her fellow models to David Bowie's song "Fashion."
caption: Elson models at an Anna Sui show in 2011.
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