Elle Macpherson

Elle Macpherson (born 29 March 1964) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host and actress. She is well known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s, leading to her nickname "The Body". She is the founder, primary model, and creative director for a series of business ventures, including Elle Macpherson Intimates, a lingerie line, and The Body, a line of skin care products. In 2010, she became the host and executive producer of Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model. She is an executive producer of NBC's Fashion Star and was the host for the first season.


Macpherson was born Eleanor Nancy Gow in Killara, New South Wales in 1964, the daughter of entrepreneur and sound engineer Peter Gow, a former president of a Sydney rugby league team, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, and Frances Gow, a nurse. Macpherson's parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and she moved with her mother and two siblings. Her mother later remarried, and a clerical mistake in registering at her new school meant that her surname was changed from Gow to Macpherson (her stepfather's surname).Macpherson grew up in East Lindfield, a suburb in the Sydney's North Shore, and attended Killara High School, completing her Higher School Certificate in 1981. She briefly studied law for one year at the University of Sydney.

 During her career, Macpherson has worked with fashion photograhers including Francesco Scavullo, Mario Testino, Ellen von Unwerth and Steven Meisel. Portraits of Macpherson, shot by Bob Carlos Clarke, were among those donated to the National Portrait Gallery, London by his family following his death.Macpherson received the Style Icon award at the 2006 Elle Style Awards presented by fashion magazine Elle. In March 2008, she signed a three-year deal with Revlon Cosmetics, which named her a Global Brand Ambassador. She has since been featured in print and advertising campaigns for the company. She returned to the runway in 2010 to close the fall Louis Vuitton show for Marc Jacobs in Paris.

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