Born in Ayr, Scotland on September 4th, 1976, Kirsty Hume's love was
painting, drawing inspiration from the countryside and influenced at a
young age by the likes of Salvador Dalí,
Pablo Picasso, and folk artist. As the
years passed and men noticed her wherever she went, Kirsty decided that
her artistic endeavors might have to take a backseat to something more
lucrative for a while. At the age of fourteen, tragedy struck when her
mother passed away. Her life was scattered amongst many relatives, and
soon she got a lucky break and was signed with a modeling agency in
Glasgow, Scotland. Kirsty moved to the Florida, U.S. to further her
career. Things continued on a slow pace until photographer Patrick DeMarchelier discovered her at age 16. Although she was gradually
working on a modeling career, this boost opened many doors for her,
providing chances for her to appear at the biggest shows, wearing the most famous designer names.
1995 was a breakout year for her, with many Vogue, Elle, Harper's
Bazaar and Allure cover appearances. Despite the stress of travel and
fashion shows, she was able to make time for her personal life. In
1997, she married Donovan Leitch Jr.,
a Calvin Klein model and musician
son of famous Scottish folk singer,
Donovan. The nuptials took place on the
banks of picturesque Loch Lomond and became an all-out fashion show in
and of itself, with a media circus buzzing and snapping photos of the
groom in traditional kilt alongside the ravishing bride. With
residences in New York and Scotland, Hume expanded her field beyond the
runway by signing on with Chanel as a spokeswoman. Her work in
campaigns for Gap, Ralph Lauren (in
association with the LPGA golf tour), Gucci, Louis Vuitton and
Yves Saint-Laurent cemented her as
part of the new breed of supermodels. Kirsty Hume's long golden hair
became her trademark in an industry where it is often difficult to set
yourself apart. Her goals, however, are broader than those of her
peers, and her love of art, painting and her homeland has never left
her mind. She even became involved in politics, giving a public vote of
confidence to her party of choice during a by-election back home in
Ayr. At the age of 23, she surprised many by announcing her plans to
leave the modeling world in order to continue her education at an art
school in New York. Since then - and a famous haircut that left her
with short locks - her activity on the catwalk has dwindled, as her
focus was on starting her own art gallery and cosmetics store. Although
her last series of fashion shows were a few seasons ago, she has
continued to pop up in the fashion scene, proving that she is not ready
to fully give up the career that has made her one of the UK's richest
stars under 30. No matter what the future holds, Hume will always be
remembered not only for her incredible beauty, but also her desire to
expand her resume outside of the fashion world. She is incredibly happy
with her new-age life on the West coast, and has recently given birth
to a beautiful baby girl, Violet Lilac Jean. She plans on returning to
the catwalk, and starting her own line of designer threads.
