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Elle Macpherson — news, coverage & facts — IJR

Rise to fame as model

Macpherson enrolled to study law at the University of Sydney. Before beginning her university studies, she travelled to the United States to spend a year doing modelling work to earn money to pay for her law books. She travelled to New York City, where she initially signed up with Click Model Management. Her modelling career began in 1982 with a television commercial for Tab, a remake of an American one that featured Lisa Parker, which established her as a "girl next door" figure in Australia.

During the 1980s, Macpherson's profile quickly rose, and she appeared on the cover and in the pages of major magazines including Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Tatler, GQ, Allure, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Time, L'Officiel, Flare, Maxim, and New York. She cemented her high-profile image through frequent appearances in Elle; she was featured on numerous covers and appeared in every issue for six straight years. During that time, at the age of 21, she married Gilles Bensimon, the creative director of Elle. In 1985, Macpherson became the longtime face of luxury French skincare company Biotherm.

Eventually she garnered more exposure through Sports Illustrated magazine's annual Swimsuit Issue. She appeared on the cover a record five times: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, and 2006.

She has walked the runways for Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Azzedine Alaïa, Donna Karan, Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler, Nicole Miller, Michael Kors, Perry Ellis, Kenzo, Todd Oldham, Calvin Klein, John Galliano, and Valentino.

After appearing nude in the 1994 film Sirens, Macpherson learned that the media had begun searching for nude photos of her, including contacting her ex-boyfriends. To address this, Macpherson appeared in a nude pictorial in the May 1994 issue of Playboy magazine, shot by Herb Ritts, to produce nude photos "on her own terms". In 1999, the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda honoured Macpherson by using her face on a series of postage stamps, the first model to appear on legal tender. Macpherson appeared among other Australian icons during the 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, her elaborate float resembling a camera lens and featuring a runway. Along with Naomi Campbell, she co-hosted the Miss Universe 2001 pageant. Her popularity had reached such a level that the Australian government offered her a position on its tourist commission as an unofficial ambassador.

During her career, Macpherson has worked with fashion photographers including Francesco Scavullo, Mario Testino, Mert and Marcus, Ellen von Unwerth, and Steven Meisel. Portraits of Macpherson, shot by Bob Carlos Clarke, were among those donated to the National Portrait Gallery 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.

Business career

In the 1980s, together with Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, Naomi Campbell, Pavlína Pořízková, and Cindy Crawford, Macpherson became part of the new generation of supermodels. Time magazine bestowed the nickname Elle "The Body" Macpherson upon her in 1989 after she graced their cover. She went on to use the name in a number of business ventures. In 1996, Frank DeCaro of The New York Times cited Macpherson, along with Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, and Claudia Schiffer as "The Magnificent Seven". DeCaro reflected, "Known by their first names to legions of fans, they are the legends of the modern catwalk, the girl next door pretty underneath all the paint."

In 1994, she left her agency, Ford Models, to form her own company, Elle Macpherson Inc., which would serve as the financial organisational base for her later endeavours. She soon went on to produce her own series of calendars, each of which was accompanied by a "making of" television program in 1992, 1993, and 1994. She used this as a springboard to create the "Your Personal Best – The Body" series of workout videos.

She later diversified her portfolio of businesses and, in 1990, launched her lingerie collection 'Elle Macpherson Intimates' in partnership with Bendon Limited Apparel. Intimates became the single best-selling lingerie line in both Great Britain and Australia.

The partnership was among the first instances of a crossover between a model and a fashion label. In 1989, when she was first approached by Bendon to promote their lingerie in Australia, Macpherson saw an opportunity to reverse their strategy and suggested a licensing arrangement, with products bearing her name and designs created in partnership with Bendon's team. Though commonplace now, the idea was unorthodox at the time.

Macpherson took a significant role in the development and management of the company, serving as chief marketing officer and later creative director. In January 2010, Macpherson expanded the line, launching Obsidian as a sub-brand. While nursing her second child, she spearheaded the development of a signature maternity bra line. Intimates has retained a high brand recognition into the 2000s, appearing as a featured brand on America's Next Top Model; last year, the brand celebrated 10 years of being stocked at Selfridges.

Macpherson has also created her own line of beauty products: "Elle Macpherson—The Body". The line was carried at Boots, and Australian suncare brand Invisible Zinc. She spent a year on the board of directors at Hot Tuna Clothing, advising on product development, brand positioning, and sales strategy.

In 2007, the BBC TV series The Money Programme aired a documentary that followed Macpherson through her day-to-day business as she continued to develop her international lingerie business. In 2009, Macpherson delivered the keynote address at the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association.

In 2014, Macpherson co-founded WelleCo and released its flagship product, an alkalising wellness supplement, The Super Elixir. The product, sold at retailers including Selfridges in London and the premium online retailer Net-A-Porter, has celebrity fans including Kate Moss.

Macpherson has received a number of awards recognising her business acumen and the success of Elle Macpherson Intimates. In 2005, she was named Glamour Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year; in 2007, she received an Everywoman Ambassador Award recognising her success as a businesswoman; in 2008, the Underfashion Club's Femmy Awards crowned her Lingerie Designer of the Year and in 2009, she received a World Career Award from the Women's World Awards.