Carmen Kass | |
---|---|
![]() Kass in 2010
|
|
Born |
Tallinn, Estonia |
14 September 1978
Website | http://www.carmenkass.com |
Modelling information | |
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) |
Hair colour | Blonde |
Eye colour | Green |
Manager |
Women Management New York Kass Enterprise Tallinn TESS Management London Brave Model Management Milan Silent models Paris |
Carmen Kass (born 14 September 1978) is an Estonian model and former political candidate. Considered a supermodel within the fashion industry, she has worked as the face of Versace, Yves Saint-Laurent, Gucci, Valentino, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Narciso Rodriguez, Givenchy, and, for ten consecutive years, Michael Kors. In the year 2002, she was estimated to have been the second-highest-paid model in the world.
Outside of modeling, Kass ran for the European Parliament in 2004 and was the president of the Estonian Chess Federation from 2004 to 2011.
Kass was born in Tallinn and grew up in the village of Mäo, near Paide, Järva County. Kass, her elder sister Victoria and elder brother Kutty were raised by their mother, Koidu Põder. Her father, Viktor Kass, is a chess teacher in Põlva.
When Kass was 14 years-old, she was discovered in a supermarket by a model scout from Milan. Her first venture into the modeling world was unsuccessful, and Kass left Milan after a short time.
Kass then moved to Paris at the age of eighteen. She soon received exposure by appearing on the covers of American, French, British, and Italian Vogue, Australian Elle, UK Image, Madame Figaro, and French Numéro. Kass's first Vogue cover was French Vogue in November 1997.