Elaine Irwin Mellencamp
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Elaine Irwin (born August 26, 1969) is an American model. She was the face of Almay Cosmetics and Ralph Lauren.


Early life and career

Elaine Irwin was born in
Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania Gilbertsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northwest Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Douglass Township at the junction of Routes 73 and 100. The population was 4,832 at the 2010 census, and the ZIP co ...
. She left home when she was 16 to pursue a modeling career and was discovered by photographer Paul Pelak and his wife Margaret while enrolled at
John Casablancas John Casablancas (December 12, 1942 – July 20, 2013) was an American modeling agent and scout who founded Elite Model Management. Casablancas is remembered for his development of the supermodel concept. He is the father of The Strokes front ...
in 1985. After her photo appeared in '' Seventeen'' in 1985, the
Boyertown Boyertown ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Boyerschteddel'') is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 4,055 at the 2010 census. Boyertown is known for the many painted fiberglass bears that can be found throughout the town and boro ...
honor student and varsity letter-winner in track and cross country was a much sought-after face for magazine covers,
advertisements Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
and commercials. In 1989 she appeared in the music video for New Order's "Round and Round" off their 1989 album ''Technique''. Within a few years, she became one of the
Ford Models Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. Company Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eileen ...
and had appeared on the cover of dozens of fashion magazines, including '' Cosmopolitan'', '' Glamour'', ''
Self The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...
'' and ''Elite''. Her American Beauty ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' cover was shot by
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and danc ...
. She made her move onto the runway for
Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ...
and Calvin Klein and soon became a favorite subject of photographers
Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black ...
, Irving Penn, and Steven Meisel for her natural, soft look. Irwin became the first woman to drive the pace car at the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
in May 2001. She was also an at-large delegate to the
2004 Democratic National Convention The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter (now the TD Garden) in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts for president and Senator John Edwards from North ...
.


Personal life

Elaine was 23 years old when she married musician
John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...
on September 5, 1992. The two met when she was hired to appear on the cover of Mellencamp's '' Whenever We Wanted'' album (and appear in the music video for "Get A Leg Up"). Within 10 weeks, they were engaged. They have two sons. On December 30, 2010, it was announced that she and Mellencamp were separating after eighteen years of marriage, but both chose to stay in
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
to raise their two children. On January 14, 2011, John Mellencamp filed for divorce and requested that Elaine be returned to her maiden name 'Irwin'. On August 12, 2011, their divorce was finalized. In October 2012, Irwin became engaged to racecar team owner and media businessman
Jay Penske Jay Penske is an American media and publishing entrepreneur and auto racing team owner. He is the Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation, a digital media and publishing company he founded in 2004. Early life and education Born in New York ...
. They had a daughter in May 2013. She has resided in California since 2013.


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Elaine 1969 births Living people 21st-century American women Female models from Pennsylvania IMG Models models People from Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Female models born in 1960s