Shalom Harlow

Shalom Harlow is a Canadian model and actress who began her career in the early 1990s and achieved supermodel status by the end of the decade. Recognized for her work across both commercial and couture campaigns, she has been featured on numerous international fashion covers, walked for leading global fashion houses, and appeared in feature films and television broadcasts.

Harlow was born on December 5, 1973, in Oshawa, Ontario, to Sandi Herbert, a worker with developmentally disabled adults, and David Harlow, who worked as a social worker, real estate agent, and financial investor. She was raised in a hippie community outside Toronto alongside her two younger brothers, Chris and Nathan. During her youth, she took up ballet before transitioning to tap dancing.

At age 15, Harlow was discovered at a Cure concert in Toronto. During the 1990s, she emerged as part of a new generation of models during an era defined by a minimalist, grunge-inspired visual style. In 1995, she was named the first winner of Vogue/VH1's Model of the Year award. She expanded her media presence in 1996 by co-hosting MTV's House of Style alongside fellow model Amber Valletta. Additionally, she ventured into acting, appearing in feature films such as In & Out (1997) and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003).

Throughout her fashion career, Harlow has walked runways for major houses including Chanel, Dior, Prada, John Galliano, Fendi, Givenchy, Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Michael Kors. One of her most notable runway moments occurred in September 1998 during the finale of Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 1999 show, where she stood on a revolving platform while being spray-painted by robotic arms. Her extensive commercial repertoire includes advertising campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara, Ralph Lauren, Chloé, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Lancôme, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Gap.

Over the course of her modeling career, Harlow has appeared on the covers of prominent publications such as Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, W, L'Officiel, and Cosmopolitan. In July 2007, Forbes ranked her thirteenth on its list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels after she earned an estimated $2 million over the preceding twelve months.

After taking a six-year hiatus from runway modeling, during which she managed health challenges including Lyme disease and black mold poisoning contracted in 2013, Harlow returned to the runway in September 2018 at Milan Fashion Week for Versace. She subsequently appeared in Versace's Spring/Summer 2019 advertising campaign and landed the cover of Vogue Italia in December 2018. In May 2023, she was featured on a Karl Lagerfeld tribute cover for Vogue alongside several prominent contemporary and classic models.