Carmen Kass was born in Kanepi, a small village in Southern Estonia in 1978, during the Soviet occupation. In her teens living conditions under suppressive communism contributed to her urge to break out. A the age of 15, she was scouted in her local supermarket by an Italian modelling scout in the city of Tallin. Against the will of her mother, she accepted an opportunity of a lifetime to discover the world.In 1997, after years of learning and perseverance, Carmen got the breakthrough that she needed by appearing on the cover of French Vogue. Soon after, she quickly rose to the top of the fashion industry working with the world’s leading publications, designers and photographers, and remains one of the most sought after models of today.
Carmen has graced the covers of Vogue America, France, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Spain and Japan. She has also appeared in such magazines as Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, V Magazine and Numero.
In the time that Carmen has been modelling, she has worked, with many of the industry’s top photographers such as Richards Avedon, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Annie Leibowitz, Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Steven Klein, Greg McDean and Terry Richardson.
Carmen has had a longstanding relationship with designer Michael Kors, and has consistently appeared in his fashion fragrance campaigns. Currently she is also the spokesperson for Max Factor Cosmetics.
Carmen has also been featured in advertisements for Calvin Klein, Narciso Rodriguez, Christian Dior, Chanel, Chloe, Gucci, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Versace, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Dsquared and Gap. She has been awarded “Model of the Year” by Vh1/Vogue Fashion Awards, Le Trophee de la Mode, and the Michael Awards. Carmen has studied acting at Lee Strasberg in New York. She has also appeared in a few independent film projects.
In 2004, surprising many, Carmen began her political aspirations by joining Estonia’s ruiling Res Republica Party and running for the European Parliament after her homeland joined the European Union. She won many votes from the Estonian Electored, but was not elected in European Parliament.
During this time, she had also accepted the nomination and was elected the President of the Estonian National Chess Federation. Having fallen in love with chess as a child, she began campaigning in her country to bring more popularity and awareness to the game which has been a lifelong passion of hers.
She is the proud owner of the one of the first modelling agencies in Estonia, Baltic Models.
Carmen Kass currently resides in Estonia.
source data from http://www.audifashionfestival.com
