Gilles Bensimon Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1944 -

Gilles Francis Charles Bensimon (French: [?ij b?~sim?~]; born 29 February 1944) is a French fashion photographer aged 74 and the former International Creative Director of Elle magazine. He has also been the photographer on the reality television series America's Next Top Model.[1]


Bensimon was born in Vic-sur-Cère in Cantal, France.[2] He had advanced dyslexia so his mother said if he did something in art he could express himself better.[2] Living in Paris, France, he joined French Elle in 1967. Two years later Bensimon helped launch American Elle, for which he later photographed Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Rachel Williams, Honor Fraser, Yasmin Le Bon, Elle Macpherson, and Beverly Peele.


During his tenure as International Creative Director and Head Photographer of Elle magazine, Bensimon's vision reached an estimated 20 million readers worldwide. He is well known as a celebrity photographer, with a portfolio consisting of leading models and celebrities, including Schiffer, Campbell, Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Nadège du Bospertus, Gisele Bündchen, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sharon Stone, Keira Knightley, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry and Uma Thurman. His commercial clients range from Kohl's to Saks Fifth Avenue and Maybelline to Clarins.


While at French Elle, he met his first wife, Pascha, with whom he has one daughter. In 1985, he met his second wife, Australian model Elle Macpherson; they divorced in 1989.

Kelly Killoren was Bensimon's third wife. They have two daughters: Sea Louise Bensimon (born 1998) and Thaddeus Ann "Teddy" Bensimon (born 2000). The couple divorced in July 2007, two years before Kelly went on to appear in three seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City.[3]

Since his third divorce, Bensimon has been linked to several fashion models and recently art historian Diana Widmaier Picasso, granddaughter of Pablo Picasso.