Narrowing Estonia’s best-known models down to just a handful is no easy task. As some may know, Estonia leads the world per capita in the number of international fashion models.
But who are these women, proudly representing Estonia on the global stage? Let’s follow their careers through New York, London, Milan and Paris and pick out the hottest Estonian names in the fashion industry.
Elisabeth Erm
Top of our list is Elisabeth Erm, who surged to the front of the pack after walking for Calvin Klein in New York in February 2013, and has since gone on to find success in Europe. She had a particularly strong run in September 2013, appearing for Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Miu Miu, among others. In the industry, she is often described as “polished, poised and versatile”.
This 20-year-old from Tartu is not only one of the most in-demand names of the past two seasons – she also looks gorgeous, sophisticated and thoroughly professional, which is quite a bonus for a newcomer.
Kätlin Aas
Aas made her debut at the age of 16 in London, opening Christopher Kane’s show in autumn 2009. However, it was opening and closing for Prada in Milan that made her the most talked-about newcomer of 2009.
Opening a Prada show is considered one of the most coveted positions in modelling, though some openers have faded as quickly as they rose to fashion Olympus. Fortunately, that did not happen to Kätlin – after her first burst onto the runways, she seized her moment. Since then, this ethereal yet edgy Estonian model has remained among the 50 most in-demand names of recent seasons.
She is ranked 39th in the Top 50 on Models.com.
Karmen Pedaru
Pedaru was discovered in Tallinn in 2005, at the age of 15. Her eight-year career is the result of impeccable management. She began on the catwalk in spring 2007, walking for Christopher Kane and Marni, followed by a slow but steady run of editorials in 2008 for V and Vogue Italia.
In the years that followed, she landed advertising contracts with Gucci and Michael Kors in 2011, all while maintaining a strong presence on runways and in magazines. For now, Karmen continues as the face of both brands. Although she is only 23, she holds a No. 4 ranking in the Top 50 models and is ranked 17th for earnings.
Carmen Kass
Fashion saves the best for last – the fabulous Estonian supermodel Carmen Kass rounds off our list of Estonia’s most internationally recognised models. She began her career with Chanel in Paris and Versace in Milan.
In 1999, she was handpicked by the legendary fashion editor Anna Wintour to appear on the cover of Vogue. Kass helped usher in an era of idealised, ultra-sexy superwomen – cool, commanding, and unapologetically aloof.
She has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and in campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Donna Karan, Givenchy, Fendi, Michael Kors, Sephora and others. A former president of the Estonian Chess Federation, Carmen does not appear on the catwalk as often these days, but she still fronts a number of fashion campaigns – underscoring the staying power of Estonia’s first truly iconic supermodel.
PROUD!!
My father’s mother was from Estonia. I am proud and happy to see how these young Estonian women are making their mark on the world. Their Ancestors struggled against incredible hardships for thousands of years, and the beauty of Estonian women is the distilled result of all that hard struggle.
Actually it’s the inner beauty of Estonian women that’s amazing. Intelligent, funny and hardworking.Those are just 3 of their qualities.And most of them don’t need tons of makeup to look great!!!
As someone descended from Estonians on my mother’s side I couldn’t be happier.