Elle Macpherson (b. 1964) is a businesswoman, model, actor and television host. As one of the leading supermodels in the world Macpherson walked the runway for high-end designers, appeared in advertising campaigns and dominated magazine covers, including her record five covers of the Sports Illustrated annual swimsuit edition. Along with appearing in films including Sirens (1993), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Batman and Robin (1997), The Edge (1997) and South Kensington (2001), and guest starring in the American sitcom Friends, she has been a host and executive producer for the television shows Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model and Fashion Star. Her business ventures include Elle Macpherson Intimates and Elle Macpherson Body, and in 2014 she co-founded WelleCo and released its flagship product, Super Elixir.
Polly Borland began her photographic career in Australia before moving to London and then Los Angeles. Her portrait of Macpherson was taken for an exhibition documenting Australians living in Britain. The image captures the photographer's sense of humour, the model wrapped in her white jumper. 'I'm fascinated by people – I love meeting them, I love photographing them, I love finding out about them. The best portraiture is when you get beneath the skin of someone, it’s psychologically revealing.'
Purchased 2001
© Polly Borland
The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the
Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a
Reproduction request. For further information please contact
NPG Copyright.