Biography
Who is Carmen Kass?
Early life and education
Carmen Kass was born in Paide, Estonia. She grew up in the village of Mäo. Her mother is Koidu Põder. She has an elder sister named Victoria and an elder brother named Kutty. Her father, Viktor Kass, taught chess in Põlva. She attended Paide Hillar Hanssoo Basic School and the Estonian Business School. Later, she studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York.
Modeling career
A scout from Milan found Carmen in a supermarket when she was 14. Her first attempt at modeling in Italy did not work out. She moved to Paris at 18. She appeared on covers for several editions of Vogue, including French, British, Italian, and American. Her first Vogue cover appeared in French Vogue in November 1997. Anna Wintour helped launch her career.
By 1999, she walked for brands like Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, and Ralph Lauren. She posed for Gucci, Chanel, and Versace. Carmen served as the face of Michael Kors for ten years. She promoted the Narciso Rodriguez For Her perfume for 17 years. In 2000, the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards named her Model of the Year. She was once estimated to be the second highest paid model globally in 2002.
Film and politics
Carmen Kass took the lead role in the 2004 Estonian movie Täna öösel me ei maga. This film is also known as Set Point. She played herself in a cameo for the movie Zoolander.
In February 2004, she joined the Res Publica Party in Estonia. She ran for a seat in the European Parliament in May 2004. She earned 2,315 votes but was not elected.
Chess and business
Carmen Kass is an active chess player. She served as the president of the Estonian Chess Federation from 2004 to 2011. She currently works as a councillor. She tried to bring the 2008 Chess Olympics to Tallinn, but the event went to Dresden.
In business, she was a part owner of Baltic Models. She was appointed as the editor in chief of Elle Baltic in Estonia in 2026.
Personal life
Carmen Kass spoke Estonian, Russian, and English. She was in a relationship with German chess grandmaster Eric Lobron between 2004 and 2014. Her nephew, Antonio Sebastian Kass, is a musician and model. She announced her first child was born in November 2024.
Birthday and age
Carmen Kass was born on September 14, 1978, which makes Carmen 48 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Carmen shares the date with 65 other famous people.
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