Karen Alexander (fashion model) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Karen Alexander
Alexander in 2015
Born	1965 (age 60–61) New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Citizenship	United States
Occupation	Model
Years active	1982–present
Known for	Bad Boys, Elle Magazine, Vogue
Spouse(s)	Kurt Olaf Johnstad
Children	3
Modeling information
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown

Karen Patton Alexander, born around 1965 in New Jersey, is an American fashion model. She has worked with many famous fashion designers and magazine editors. Her career has lasted for over two decades.

Becoming a Model
Modeling Success
- Breaking Barriers
Life Outside Modeling
External links
Images for kids
See also

Becoming a Model

Karen Alexander started her modeling career when she was sixteen years old. She visited many modeling agencies in New York City. Some agencies thought she was "unphotogenic" or not "commercial" enough. Others thought she was "too commercial." She eventually signed with an agency called Legends.

Modeling Success

Karen Alexander became very well-known in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She appeared on the covers of many popular magazines. These included Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle, and Glamour.

She also worked on advertising campaigns for big brands. These included Cover Girl, Tiffany & Co, and Chanel's Allure. Karen worked with top photographers like Steven Meisel and Patrick Demarchelier.

Breaking Barriers

Karen Alexander was featured in the 1988 and 1989 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. This was a big achievement for her career. She was also in Herb Ritts' Pirelli Calendar. Later, People magazine named her one of the "50 Most Beautiful People."

Karen Alexander helped break barriers for models of color. She was one of the first Black models to be featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Despite her success, she faced challenges in the industry.

Life Outside Modeling

Karen Alexander is married to Kurt Olaf Johnstad, who is a screenwriter. They have three daughters together. Karen is also part of a group that works to help stop gun violence.