Meghan Kelley Douglas is an American former fashion model who rose to prominence in the early 1990s. She was a regular presence in top fashion magazines, including international editions of ''

Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...

'', ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...

'', and ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

''. Douglas appeared in major campaigns for brands such as Cover Girl, Dolce & Gabbana, Finesse Shampoo, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Prada, and Versace. She is among the few models to have appeared on the covers of all " Big Four" leading international editions of ''

'': American, British, French, and Italian.

Early life

Douglas was born on January 28, 1970, in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

, and raised in nearby

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. As the daughter of a diplomat, she spent her early childhood overseas before returning to the United States around age nine. She attended James Madison High School in Vienna. During her teenage years, Douglas worked at a donut shop and answered phones at

Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain founded in 1861 by Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. It was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1930, which purchased the Macy's department store chain in 1994, ...

Career

After being rejected by her first-choice college, Douglas began her modeling career in 1988 as a finalist in

Elite Model Management Elite Model Management (MM) is a modeling agency that originated in Paris in 1972. In 2004, the agencies in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and Toronto separated and formed Elite Model Management North America. Elite MM is a subsidiary of El ...

's '' Look of the Year'' contest. Early in her runway career, Douglas struggled with stage fright, which she gradually overcame as she gained confidence walking in front of large audiences. As her career developed, she trained under runway coach J. Alexander. Douglas prioritized health and fitness, preferring exercise over dieting to maintain her figure. In 1992, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' profiled her as one of fashion's "supermodels-in-waiting," alongside

Nadja Auermann Nadja Auermann (born 19 March 1971) is a German model and actress. She was once stated by the Guinness Book of Records to have the longest legs of any model in the world. Biography In 1989, Auermann was discovered in a cafe in Berlin and signed ...

and

Eva Herzigova Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), in the ''Devil May Cry'' video game series * ...

. A year later, ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'' named her one of modeling's rising "new superstars," citing a shift in the industry that included

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is an English model. Arriving towards the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her t ...

. She reportedly earned $15,000 a day that year (). Douglas was known for her adaptability, frequently changing her look through hair color and styling. In 1995, following the advice of

Steven Meisel Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in '' Vogue'' and '' Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, '' Sex''. He is ...

, a shift to red hair helped raise her visibility, and she was named "one of a hot new bunch of redheaded celebrities." She was cited as one of the highest-paid runway models for

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...

, alongside

Elle MacPherson Eleanor Nancy Macpherson ( ; ; born ) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress. She is known for her record five cover appearances for the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' beginning in the 1980s, leading to her ...

and

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British supermodel. Beginning her career at the age of eight, Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. She was th ...

, and was named by '' GQ'' as the "star attraction" of

Paris Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...

. She appeared in the fashion documentary '' Unzipped'', and is referenced in Michael Gross's exposé ''Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women'' and in

Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack (literary), Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts ...

's fashion satire ''

Glamorama ''Glamorama'' is a 1998 novel by American writer Bret Easton Ellis. ''Glamorama'' is set in, and satirizes, the 1990s, specifically celebrity culture and consumerism. ''Time'' describes the novel as "a screed against models and celebrity". Deve ...

''.

Personal life

In 1993, Douglas married financier Liam Dalton. The couple appeared in the August 1994 issue of American ''Vogue'' in an editorial titled "The Weekenders". Their first child, Kelley Rain, was born in October 1995 and appeared with Douglas in fashion layouts including that December's ''Vogue''. Douglas has four children; her two younger sons, Lander and Cade, are also working models. Douglas is of Irish descent and identifies as Catholic.

Filmography

* '' Unzipped'' (1995)

References

External links