Five-foot ten-inch stunner Noemie Lenoir (pronounced "Linwah") hails from the equally breathtaking town of Versailles, just outside of Paris, France. The daughter of a French father and a mother from a small island off Madagascar, Noemie has, as a result, always had an alluring, international look. This didn't go unnoticed for long; at the age of sixteen, while at her neighborhood post office, Lenoir was spotted by an agent from the prestigious Ford Modeling Agency, and a magazine shoot for Marie Claire and Ralph Lauren in Paris soon followed. But Lenoir was determined to finish school and learn English before setting out into the turbulent world of modeling. With those goals achieved, Noemie moved to New York in 1999 to give herself a better chance at furthering a modeling career.
The move certainly paid off; within a year she was already making waves. At Oscar de la Renta's fall 2000 show, anti-fur activists climbed onto the stage in front of her, but Lenoir quite literally took the disruption in stride, and she kept strutting right down the runway. It was that kind of show-must-go-on attitude that helped her get selected the following year to exclusively walk the Gucci show in Milan. By now, Noemie Lenoir has modeled for just about every major designer around the world, and has worked with some of the fashion industry's hottest photographers, such as Mario Testino (for the prestigious Pirelli Calendar), Ellen von Unwerth, Steven Meisel, and Peter Lindbergh. In addition to Marie Claire, Lenoir's photos have appeared in such magazines as Allure, both American Elle and British Elle, Glamour, Mademoiselle, and Interview.
She has also had two shoots for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition in 2000 and 2001, and even graced the New York Times Magazine. Her modeling credits for ad campaigns are just as impressive: the Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren Jeans, Pantene Europe, and Victoria's Secret catalogue. She has also worked as a spokesmodel for L'Oreal. In 2002, Lenoir took her first stab at the movie biz, appearing in the 2002 French film Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre. The movie was based on the popular French comic book Astérix, and starred French screen icon Gerard Depardieu.
With so much work in so little time, it should come as no surprise that Noemie has a hectic lifestyle. She spends three or four days a week just traveling, often to such far-flung locales as Pankor Island, Malaysia (where her favorite hotel is located). But Lenoir knows how taxing such a schedule can be on her body -- her main asset -- so she makes a point of eating right and getting plenty of sleep while on the road. When she's home in New York, Lenoir also likes to get plenty of exercise. To stay in shape, she swims whenever she gets the chance. Also an animal lover, Noemie Lenoir is an experienced equestrian: She often rides a horse named Boston at the Chelsea Equestrian Center on Manhattan's West Side. Lenoir loves riding because, she says, it brings her closer to nature while clearing her mind and relaxing. The rest of Lenoir's time is spent doing one of her favorite activities: shopping. She's especially fond of shoes, handbags and pants, and carries around her sunglass collection (more than ten pairs) with her when she travels. As for what's in store for the future, Noemie speculates that she might even end up working in another area of the fashion industry, but for the moment, she says, "I'm not worried about that."
