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Melissa Keller
By SARA TEMPLETON
 Widely
quoted as saying: "I want to make sure I'm well studied,
and I'm going to make my own decisions. I don't want to jump
into something for the sake of doing it," Melissa
Keller represents the nouveau model of the third millennium:
Determined, intelligent and business savvy.
Despite the stereotypical view of top models -- where skeletal
waifs wander about getting high on designer drugs while eating
designer canapés, using designer napkins to clean the
crumbs off their faces while pummeling paparazzi with hardwood
chairs -- Melissa Keller best represents today's archetypal
top model.
It's fair to say that all well-paid models will get up to
some naughty highjinks at some stage or another - as we all
will no doubt - but to be successful in today's fashion industry
takes a lot more hard work than most give them credit for,
and Melissa is no exception.
Born in the US of A (Long Lake in Minnesota to be precise)
in 1979, Melissa grew up in an average middle-class American
family.
Gorwing up and passing double digits in age, she began a
love affair with snow sports and snowboarding and her image
became understandably punkish, which didn't go down well with
her father.
In a bid to try and sway her from the dark, evil and generally
unwholesome teachings that is collectively known as punkdom
[*cough*], Melissa's dad sent
some photos of her to a local agency.
The modeling agency agreed that Melissa's look was what they
were in need of and seeing as she was only 15 at the time
she started off her fashion career modeling for the like of
Target and Sears.
After spending much of her spare time doing ad campaigns
for larger departmental stores, Melissa Keller's appreciation
for the industry grew and by the time she had passed her high
school diploma, she was already heading over to Milan and
extremely happy to be modeling.
After spending time in Italy learning the ropes and how to
deal with agents and design directors and angry bus drivers,
Melissa flew back to America and found herself a nice place
in New York.
Upon returning to her homeland, Melissa's career really took
off. Her first big assignment was for Parasuco Jeans, and
far from just a print ad or a one off TV commercial, the denim
specialists decided that Keller would their new spokes model.
Next up and The Gap confronted her with a proposal for some
advertising campaigns and shortly after this she was doing
glossy magazine after glossy magazine.
After having her face plastered across many a magazine, Revlon
approached the model to act as one of its many spokes models,
and Melissa jumped at the chance. Her mesmerising facial features
and elegant eyes instantly won over many industry types, and
following the Revlon deal she went on to work for L'Oréal
and Aveda.
It was in 2001 that Keller was selected to appear in one
of America's highest selling yearly magazine specials - Sports
Illustrated annual Swimsuit Issue.
She appeared in the 2002 edition of the annual and despite
her confession that she didn't feel comfortable in the skimpy
bikinis, her popularity was such that she was asked to return,
and indeed appeared in the 2003 edition of the Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit Issue.
While Melissa conceivably still has many years of fashion
modeling left, she's already talking about heading back to
university, her personal interest centred on film. Could she
be the next Oliver Stone, or perhaps she's more a George Lucas
type? Either way, this American beauty will be fondly remembered.
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