Helena Christensen life and biography

Helena Christensen is a Danish fashion model, (former) Victoria's Secret Angel, beauty queen, and photographer. She has also served as creative director for Nylon magazine, designed clothing, and supported funding for breast cancer organizations and other charities.

Agencies:

Paris Marilyn Agency
New York One Mgmt
Barcelona View
Milan d'management
Vienna Next Company

Christensen appeared on many magazine covers and in fashion campaigns during the 1990s. One noted campaign featured her in a 20 by 40-foot billboard in Times Square, bare, "except for a strategically placed banana leaf." She was in the Victoria's Secret catalog and in their television commercials as one of the signature Angels, along with Tyra Banks, Karen Mulder, Daniela Pestova, and Stephanie Seymour. She also became a spokesmodel for Revlon cosmetics.

In 1991, she starred in the music video for Chris Isaak's song "Wicked Game." The video was later featured on MTV's "Sexiest Video of All-Time", voted #4 on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments", and voted #13 on VH1's "100 Greatest Videos".

Christensen is signed to Independent Models in London and 1/One Management in New York City, 2pm Model Management in Copenhagen.

Christensen was creative director of Nylon magazine at its 1999 founding by publisher Marvin Scott Jarrett. She launched her own clothing line, Christensen & Sigersen, with life-long friend Leif Sigersen. The pair previously ran Butik, a shop in New York's West Village. Christensen has sold some of her vintage clothes line in her mother's store, the Yo-Yo Second Hand Shop, in Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Denmark. Christensen famously once said, when asked if normal girls would feel comfortable in her new clothing line, "I don't care. I have no clue. I don't think about anyone but me." The quote is printed on the back of Denis Leary's 2008 book, Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid.

Christensen is a photographer whose work has appeared in Nylon, Marie Claire, and ELLE. Her exhibition "A Quiet Story", curated by Jim Cook, premiered in at the Locus Gallery in Rotterdam, 2006, and HotelArena in Amsterdam, 2007. Her exhibition "Far From, Close" appeared at Dactyl Foundation in 2008/09, to benefit International Center of Photography educational programs and Chernobyl Children's Project International.

Christensen launched the second Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign which involves the sale of exclusive designer t-shirts to raise millions for Ireland's Action Breast Cancer (Irish Cancer Society) and Europa Donna Ireland to help younger women with breast cancer.

Career Highlights:

1977:
- Begins modeling

1986:
- Wins the Miss Denmark competition
- Leaves home to pursue modeling career

1989:
- Discovered by photographer Friedemann Hauss

1990:
- Dates Michael Hutchence, the lead singer for rock band INXS
- Appears on the cover of British Vogue

1991:
- Appears topless in the music video for Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” Video»
- Arrives in Paris and is hired immediately by Karl Lagerfeld and fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh

1992:
- Plays herself in TV movie Inferno
- Appears on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar

1993:
- Appears on cover of Vogue

1994:
- Appears in print ads for CoverGirl
- Appears in print ads for Gianni Versace, who describes her as having “the most beautiful body in the world”
- Has cameo role in Robert Altman’s movie Prêt-à-Porter(25 DEC)

1996:
- Travels to Peru for a Marie Claire editorial, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier
- Models for Victoria’s Secret

1997:
- Briefly dates Leonardo DiCaprio
- Appears in print ads for Ralph Lauren
- Appears on cover of British Vogue
- Appears on cover of Dazed & Confused magazine

1998:
- Appears in Dom Pérignon ad campaign, directed and photographed by Karl Lagerfeld
- Dates actor Norman Reedus

1999:
- Co-founds Nylon magazine
- Retires from the catwalk
- Appears on the cover of British GQ
- Gives birth to Mingus Luchien Reedus(22 DEC)

2002:
- Appears in print ads for Montblanc
- Separates from Norman Reedus; takes custody of son Mingus
- Appears in the music video for the Dirty Vegas song “Simple Things” Video»
- Photographs Carlsberg ad campaign

2003:
- Opens the Ungaro fall couture show in Paris

2005:
- Opens her own boutique, Butik Christensen & Sigersen, in the West Village with longtime partner Dane Leif Sigersen

2006:
- Appears on cover of French Elle

2007:
- Unveils “A Quiet Life,” an exhibition of her photographs focusing on landscapes and portraits, in Amsterdam
- Returns to the catwalk for the fall Christian Dior 60th-anniversary couture show in Paris
- Holds a party for the auctioning of her photography at Milk Studios (18 JUL)
- Announces new hair-care line, Model.Me, with Erin O’Connor; to be launched September 12

2008:
- Appears in Harper's Bazaar editorial mocking the extremely late start of the Marc Jacobs spring show, photographed by Peter Lindbergh
- Begins dating Interpol singer Paul Banks
- Photographs Valentina Zelyaeva for a Spanish Vogue editorial
- Featured on the cover of Italian GQ, photographed by Guy Aroch
- Solve Sundsbo photographs Christensen for the fall issue of Man About Town
- Launches a line of jewelry line for Pilgrim
- Featured on the cover of French Elle, photographed by David Vasiljevic

2009:
- Gergory Derkenne photographs Christensen for the cover of Citizen K
- French Vogue features Christensen
- Appears in Italian Vogue editorial, photographed by Mario Sorrenti
- Appears in Harper's Bazaar editorial, photographed by Peter Lindbergh
- Kayt Jones photographs Christensen for the winter cover of i-D, alongside Eva Herzigova and Claudia Schiffer

2010:
- Featured on the cover of British Elle, photographed by Jan Welters
- Featured on the cover of Spanish Marie Claire, photographed by Gregory Derkenne
- Featured on the 25th Anniversary cover of British Elle, photographed by Tesh

Read more