Elson is a fashion model known for her flame of red hair, penciled brows, and phantasmically translucent skin. Dubbed "Le Freak" by Italian Vogue, she is perhaps the most successful living definition of "oddly pretty."

The Manchester native signed her first modeling contract at 16 but struggled to get noticed in London and Paris. Taking matters into her own hands, she moved to Tokyo to find work after hearing red headed models were in high demand. It was a chance encounter, however, that officially launched her career. She met Steven Meisel while in Milan, and intrigued by her beauty, Meisel immediately had Elson shave off her eyebrows and shot her for the cover of Italian Vogue in 2006. The shoot earned her the hard-to-shake nickname "The Freak." Following her success with Meisel, Elson decamped to New York at the age of 18, taking up residence with Ford Modeling Agency founder Eileen Ford. She was eventually lured away from Ford to the trendier DNA agency, where she's been ever since.

Elson's transformative look has made her one of the most successful avant-garde models in recent history. She's appeared on countless magazine covers—including the Spanish, Japanese, UK, French, Italian, and American editions of Vogue. She's walked the runway for fashion greats like Michael Kors, Anna Sui, Diane von Furstenberg, Kenneth Cole, Dior, and Zac Posen, and appeared in the Marc Jacobs show while pregnant in ‘06. Elson has also been famously booted from the runway by Dolce and Gabbana for being "too fat," and has publicly discussed her troubled history with eating disorders.

Elson was married to White Stripes member Jack White in a shamanic ceremony on the Amazon River, after meeting on the set of the "Blue Orchid" music video some three weeks earlier. The two separated amicably in June of 2011, announcing their divorce and 6 year anniversary with a celebratory party. They have two kids together: Scarlett Teresa White, and Henry Lee White.

When she isn't modeling, Elson is actively pursuing a music career. She started off with the Citizens band in 2004, and collaborated on songs with Robert Plant (among other well-known musicians). After White heard Elson singing to herself in her bathroom, he volunteered to produce her first album. In 2010 Elson released The Ghost Who Walks to positive reviews, her voice receiving comparisons to Loretta Lynn and Jenny Lewis.

[Image via Getty]