Erin O'Connor grew up in Brown Hills on the outskirts of Birmingham and dreamt of becoming a ballerina. From an early age her unusual height and striking looks set her apart for the kids. Although she planned to make it as a dancer, her career plan took a different route when she was spotted whilst shopping in Birmingham in 1996. Within just a few months she found herself working with Richard Avedon on the Versace campaign.
Aged 20, Erin met Jean-Paul Gaultier, a unique friendship was born and he has entrusted her to realise his vision both on the catwalk and in advertising campaigns ever since. But it wasn't until hairdresser, Guido Paulo, cut off her hair in 1999, that Erin truly found her confidence as a model. "It was liberation," she says. "I didn't have the more typical attributes of a woman, so I leant how to push my chest out and use my hands in a way I hadn't before."
In 2002, her profile was raised further after she appeared in the acclaimed Channel 4 series, This Model Life. Erin's versatility is endless, and she is to this day one of the only living people to have appeared on a postage stamp, shot by Nick Knight.
With her dramatic shock of dark hair, alabaster skin, graceful presence and statuesque beauty, Erin has become one of our greatest and most original exports, single-handedly purveying a dynamic new look in fashion and acting as a muse for numerous designers, artists and photographers. In 2002, illustrator David Dowtown held an exhibition featuring line drawings of Erin, the first time an exhibition of it's kind had been devoted to one model.
She has appeared on many front covers from Vogue and Numero to i-D. Advertising campaigns include Chanel, Givenchy Donna Karan, Valentino, Armani, Versace, Anne Taylor and Dolce and Gabbana, to name but a few. Always in high demand, in one month alone, Erin appeared in British Vogue shot by Tim Walker, US Harpers Bazaar with Julian Broad, Self Service with Magnus Unnar and Another Magazine with Nick Knight. Forever busy, Erin also features in the haute couture seasons, working with names including Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino, Yohji Yamamoto, Giles Deacon and John Galliano at Christian Dior. She has also appeared in the Icon issue of Harpers Bazaar and was once again reunited with the renowned photographer Nick Knight for a Show Studio project.
In one of her most memorable shoots Erin can be seen tapping into her renowned British sense of humour by appearing in British Vogue photographed by Mario Testino in a collaboration with Matt Lucas and David Walliams for Little Britain in an episode of the South Bank Show.
For the past two years Erin has been the face of Marks and Spencer along with fellow Independent Models Laura Bailey and Lizzy Jagger, and more importantly has been credited with changing the fortunes of the high street retailer. The campaign is now renowned as the retailers most successful.
Erin's poise, elegance and intelligence has led to a highly coveted association to British Fashion Council as Vice Chairman, and alongside this she has been working on a number of exciting new projects and initiatives, recently creating her own designer hair care range, Model.Me, with salon experts T&G alongside Helena Christensen and Jamelia. Erin continues to write on a regular basis, and in recent months has written for leading publications including The Times, I-D Magazine and The Guardian. She also writes a fortnightly blog for leading fashion website, Vogue.com.
In summer 2007, Erin contributed to the Model Health Enquiry and opened the country's first Model Sanctuary for models working at London Fashion Week; an extension of the existing mentoring work she undertakes with new faces working with Independent. Having recently given a lecture at London's V&A Museum on the history of couture, she has been appointed as a trustee for the prestigious museum, the youngest ever to be given the government appointed role. She also regularly chairs forums for art and fashion students, and most recently chaired a symposium for new generation designers. Erin recently featured as one of the Modern Muses in a photographic exhibition shown at the National Portrait Gallery. Gaultier once quoted "she isn't only a model. She is quite like art. She is like theatre. She is an extraordinary inspiration."