Carmen Kass

With legs that go on forever, a very slender silhouette, and her cat-like regard, the beautiful Carmen Kass has been part of the fashion landscape for over 10 years. At almost 30, the spellbinding Estonian has learned to mix business, passion, political ambitions and modeling. A product of the post-super-model generation, Kass has nevertheless everything of a Claudia or a Naomi.

Kass was born in the Estonian village of Tallin on September 14, 1978. She was raised by her mother, although her father, a chess professor, did succeed in imparting his love for the game to his daughter. This passion has remained with her, to the point that since 2004 she has been the president of the Estonian Chess National League.

Kass grew up in simple country surroundings, which did not prevent her from being noticed for her dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty. She was elected the beauty queen of her village and won another countywide competition. She was considering trying for the Miss Estonia competition when she was spotted by an Italian agency headhunter while in a supermarket in Tallin. The headhunter offered her the possibility to go to Milan to become a model.

The thought of her daughter going so far away when she was only 14 did not make her mother happy; she would have preferred that she try for Miss Estonia. Her daughter saw things otherwise, however. Kass, who had developed a love for fashion and began spending her meager savings on clothes, dreamt of only one thing: to discover the world outside of Eastern Europe and to leave for the Mecca of glamour, Milan.

Kass forged her mother's signature and left for three months for the Italian fashion capital. She then signed a contract with an Estonian agency, Baltic Models, who managed her career until her 18th birthday. As soon as she was of age in 1996, she took off and joined a Parisian agency.

It did not take long for her to be picked for the Chanel and Versace shows. Her appearance on the catwalks did not go unnoticed and the next month she posed for the cover of l'Officiel and Vogue. It was not easy for her to adapt to her new environment, however. She understood that in the beginning, only her physique counted, but that to insure a long career, she would have to understand what was happening around her. She realized that English was indispensable and set about to learn it, which she did quickly.

By 1999, Kass had made progress and was in almost all of the season's shows: Alberta Ferretti, Gianfranco Ferré, BCBG, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Christian Dior, Gianni Versace, Anna Sui, Jill Stuart, Michael Kors, Nicole Miller, DKNY, Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, Max Mara, Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino.

She made the cover of Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Numéro and Vogue France and U.S. She also appeared in numerous prestigious ad campaigns, e.g., Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Guy Laroche, Versace, Chanel and Krizia. Her ratings continued to climb and the fashion journalists who called her a super model, a title that she did not accept.

In Kass' opinion, there was only one generation of super models: Naomi, Kate, Christy, Cindy, Claudia, etc. They made their reputations by showing for only the biggest designers and working only with the crème de la crème of the business. The press continued to use the term "supermodel" for other girls, but for her, the term had lost its sense. In any case, she says she never gave it any importance what status anyone gave her. Her goal was to understand the fashion business in order to make her career last.

In 2000, she posed for an ad campaign that made her world-famous. She became the face of the Dior perfume, "J'adore." Shortly after, she was given Vogue's modeling award. In 2001, she became a star and was given the choice places in all the shows: she opened for Versace, Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta, and closed for Valentino, Anna Sui and Balmain. She also appeared in the film Zoolander where she played herself, i.e. a top model at the height of her glory.

In 2002, an American magazine listed her as the second most important model in the world. She continued to appear on the cover of Vogue and was given more and more choice places in the shows. She opened and closed for Marni, Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent, and closed for Gucci and Valentino. She even became a member of the Victoria's Secret dream team. In 2003, she became associated with Gucci's controversial porno chic ad campaign, while continuing to play the Guest Star during the fashion weeks. In 2004, Kass's appearance on the catwalk was billed at $200,000.

During this period, Kass began to diversify her activities. She became a member of an Estonian political party and almost won a place in the European Parliament. She also purchased shares in the modeling agency where she began her career. A smart head on a perfect body... sometimes Nature gets it right.

During the next two years, Kass was seen less frequently and rumors said that she was pregnant. Then the rumors changed to possible eating disorders as her extreme thinness attracted the attention of the fashion world. In 2006, she appeared nevertheless in three ad campaigns: DSquared, Michael Kors, and Chloé.

In 2007, she was seen more radiant than ever and posed for no less than 10 ad campaigns, including Versace, Michael Kors et Salvatore Ferragamo. She was also asked to show for Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Balmain, Karl Lagerfeld, and closed for Giles Deacon et Versace.

When asked what her modeling career has done for her, she replies that she has gained self-confidence, endurance and courage, and understands that everyone can have their place in the sun. At the moment, she lives in New York and is not too worried about her future.

When a journalist asked her where she sees herself in five years, Kass quotes Ray Evans: