Elaine Irwin
{{short description|American model (born 1969)}}
{{Infobox model
| name = Elaine Irwin
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=y|1969|8|26}}Elaine Irwin appeared on The Tavis Smiley Show on August 16, 2010, and informed the host that her birthday is August 26, not August 16 as has been widely reported.
| birth_place = Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Model
| spouse = {{marriage|John Mellencamp|1992|2011|end=divorced}}
{{marriage|Jay Penske|2012|2024|end=divorced}}
| height = {{height|m=1.80}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/models/Elaine_Irwin_Mellencamp/|title=Elaine Irwin Mellencamp|publisher=Fashion Model Directory}}
| agency = {{Plainlist|
- IMG Models (New York, Los Angeles)
- d'management group (Milan)
- Mega Model Agency (Hamburg)
- Front Management (Miami){{Cite web|url=https://models.com/models/elaine-irwin|title = Elaine Irwin - Model}} }}
}}
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. 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 in 1985. After her photo appeared in Seventeen in 1985, the Boyertown honor student and varsity letter-winner in track and cross country was a much sought-after face for magazine covers, advertisements and commercials.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}
In 1989 she appeared in the music video for New Order's Round & Round off their 1989 album Technique.{{cite web|url=http://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2017/05/round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-new-order.html |publisher=cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org|title=Round & Round (& Round & Round & Round & Round|date=18 May 2017|access-date=20 May 2017}} Within a few years, she became one of the Ford Models and had appeared on the cover of dozens of fashion magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Self and Elite. Her American Beauty Vogue cover was shot by Richard Avedon.
She made her move onto the runway for Victoria's Secret, Thierry Mugler, Versace, Prada and Calvin Klein and soon became a favorite subject of photographers Herb Ritts, Irving Penn, and Steven Meisel for her natural, soft look.
Irwin became the first woman to drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 in May 2001.{{cite press release |url= http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/05/31/022192.html |title= Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp to Drive Bravada Indianapolis 500 Pace Vehicle |work= The Auto Channel |date= May 4, 2001}}{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CeCxyf0BpgUC&pg=PA296 |title= Autocourse Official History of the Indianapolis 500 |first1= Donald |last1= Davidson |first2= Rick |last2= Schaffer |publisher= Crash Media Group |year= 2006 |isbn= 978-1-905334-20-9}} She was also an at-large delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Also in 2004, it was announced that Almay Cosmetics, owned by Revlon, selected Elaine as their spokesmodel and signed her to a seven year contract to represent the brand.{{cite news |url= https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_campaignplus/20080422/ap_ca/on_the2008_trail_2 |title= Mellencamp taking stage with both Obama, Clinton |agency= Associated Press |date= April 22, 2008 |access-date= November 27, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080426215626/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_campaignplus/20080422/ap_ca/on_the2008_trail_2 |archive-date=April 26, 2008 }}
Personal life
Elaine was 23 years old when she married musician John Mellencamp 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.{{cite news |url= http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2013/08/15/john-mellencamps-2-sons-issued-arrest-warrants-face-felony-battery-charges/2660995/ |title= John Mellencamp's sons face felony battery charges |work= The Indianapolis Star |first= Jill |last= Disis |date= August 16, 2013 |quote = Hud and Speck Mellencamp are the sons of John Mellencamp and Elaine Irwin, who were married from 1992 to 2011.}}
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 to raise their two children.{{cite web | url= http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/people/john-mellencamps-marriage-over-20101231-19bol.html |title= John Mellencamp's marriage over |work= Brisbane Times |date= December 31, 2010}} On January 14, 2011, John Mellencamp filed for divorce and requested that Elaine be returned to her maiden name 'Irwin'.{{cite web |url= http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/01/exclusive-court-documents-inside-john-mellencamps-divorce-hes-got-prenup |title= Inside John Mellencamp's Divorce – He's Got The Prenup! |website= RadarOnline.com |date= January 20, 2011}} On August 12, 2011, their divorce was finalized.{{cite web |url= https://people.com/celebrity/john-mellencamp-elaine-irwin-mellencamp-divorced/ |title= John Mellencamp Officially Divorced |work= People Magazine |date= August 15, 2011}}
In October 2012, Irwin became engaged to racecar team owner and media businessman Jay Penske. They had a daughter in May 2013. She has resided in California since 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/elaine-irwin-john-mellencamps-ex-engaged-to-jay-penske-media-mogul-2013211/|title = Elaine Irwin, John Mellencamp's Ex, Engaged to Jay Penske, Media Mogul|date = 21 January 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/santabarbaramag/docs/164_summer_2019/s/115182|title=In Elaine's Lane}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.elaineirwin.com/}}
- {{FMD model}}
- {{IMDb name}}
{{John Mellencamp|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Elaine}}
Category:21st-century American women
Category:Female models from Pennsylvania
Category:People from Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania