Quick Facts
Biography
Shalom Harlow (born December 5, 1973) is a Canadian supermodel and actress.
She gained prominence as a fashion model in the early 1990s, and went on to appear on six American Vogue covers between 1993 and 1997. She has appeared in advertisements and on runways for fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Salvatore Ferragamo and Versace.
She is considered an "anti-supermodel", and hosted MTV's House of Style alongside her friend and fellow model Amber Valletta. She has appeared in films such as In & Out (1997) and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003).
In 2007, she was listed by Forbes as thirteenth in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels.
Early life and family
Harlow was born in Oshawa, Ontario, the daughter of Sandi Herbert and David Harlow. Her mother named her Shalom (Hebrew: שלום), meaning "peace" or "Hello" in Hebrew. Her father held several jobs as asocial worker, real estate agent and financial investor while her mother, Sandi Herbert, worked with developmentally disabled adults. Her parents allowed her to experience growing up in a 'hippie community just outside Toronto' and the family often spent time at their family cottage, built by her great-great grandfather. She has two younger brothers, Chris and Nathan.
Early on, Harlow took up ballet which she later decided was not for her as she claimed in a 2008, New York Times article, "My rebellious nature always comes out." She instead became interested in tap dancing as she enjoyed the noise it created.
Career
Harlow was discovered at a The Cure concert in Toronto and started modeling straight out of high school. She has since appeared on numerous magazine covers, editorials, and top runway shows, and appeared in movies and co-hosted MTV's House of Style with fellow supermodel Amber Valletta. She was the long-time favorite model for many designers who found that her look translated well between commercial and couture. She is the first ever winner of Vogue/VH1's Model of the Year Award, winning it in 1995. Harlow is the spokesperson for Chanel's Coco fragrance.
In July 2007, she earned an estimated total of $2 million over the previous 12 months, Forbes named her thirteenth in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels. She has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, W, V, Cosmopolitan, and Allure. Harlow has walked the runways for Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, John Galliano, Anna Sui, Moschino, Gianfranco Ferré, Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld, Versace, Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Balmain, Max Mara, Chloé, Blumarine, Isaac Mizrahi, Hermés, Valentino, Dries Van Noten, Yves Saint Laurent, Alberta Ferretti, Gucci, Jil Sander, Celine, Marc Jacobs, Salvatore Ferragamo, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Zac Posen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Giles Deacon, Stella McCartney, Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, and Viktor & Rolf.She has appeared in advertising campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Alberta Ferretti, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Anne Klein, Versace, Jil Sander, Ann Taylor, Chloé, Isaac Mizrahi, Blumarine, Max Azria, Giorgio Armani, Nautica, Valentino, Nars, Jil Sander, Lancôme, Perry Ellis, Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic, Gap, and L'Oréal.
In September 2018, she returned to the runway at Milan Fashion Week for the Versace show.
Television
- House of Style (1996–1997), Co-host
- When I Was a Girl (2001)
- The Jury (2004), Melissa Greenfield
- 1998 Pirelli Calendar, June