Chandra North Biography

A native of Dallas, Texas, Chandra North was born in 1973 and grew up with aspirations of becoming a ballerina. As a teenager, Chandra would hit the underground clubs while her classmates attended school dances.

Most of her spare time was consumed studying ballet. While sitting poolside on the campus of Southern Methodist University one summer, Chandra was approached by a male model who thought she had the right look. The interest turned out to be more than a ruse, as he helped her land jobs modeling for department store catalogs and newspapers.

In 1991, Chandra relocated to New York City to further her career and audition for the city ballet company. Her modeling jobs paid the rent and after a short stay, she was sent to Paris. Chandra returned to the US frustrated at the lack of opportunity afforded her in Europe. However, her disappointment waned when she met her future husband, who was working as a bicycle messenger at the time. With his encouragement, North dedicated herself to modeling again and her new attitude paid off.

In 1995, she modeled the lines of Isaac Mizrahi and Richard Tyler for shows in Paris and Milan. A year later Chandra scored a coup when she was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. The shot of her donning a bikini made of grass, made waves among readers and fashion aficionados alike.

She has since appeared in the magazine five times. Chandra has also graced the cover of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W, and Allure. In the future, her hope is to own a Texas ranch complete with animals and many children.