Vanessa Fitzgerald was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Although she never aspired to become a model, Vanessa always had a great interest in the fashion world. While on vacation from her studies at New York University, Vanessa was discovered by celebrity photographer, Tony Duran, who then booked her for a Surface Magazine photo shoot. From there, Vanessa’s career as a model took off.
Vanessa went on to work with some of the industry’s most renowned photographers including, Steven Klein, Alexi Lubomirski, Kelly Klein, Ondrea Barbe, and Don Flood. She has appeared in editorials for magazines such as, Italian Vogue, Marie Claire, Self, Shape, Surface, and Ocean Drive and on the cover of 944 and Modern Luxury Magazines.
Vanessa has also appeared in advertising campaigns for Oliver Peoples, Tag Body Spray, Fabrizio Gianni, Park Hyatt Hotel, and Pantene. She has walked the runway for designers, including Agent Provacateur at the 2008 Annual Lifeball event in Vienna, Austria.
Vanessa appears as a model on the sixth season of Lifetime TV’s “Project Runway” and on their new sister show “Models of the Runway,” which will debut this August. To find out more info about the show as well as see some behind the scenes footage, visit www.mylifetime.com.
Inspired by experiences in the fashion industry, alongside her mother, Vanessa created V’Ness, an affordable clothing line that provides stylish working attire for women. The clothing can be seen at www.workingwomentoday.com.
Vanessa is enrolled at the UCLA Extension Program with a focus on Broadcast Journalism and hopes to fulfill her childhood dream of being a television host.
Currently based in New York City, Vanessa spends her free time helping her community. She became involved with an organization called Children Uniting Nations where she volunteers as a mentor for at risk youth and foster children. She currently resides on the charity’s Young Executive Board. The CUN website is www.childrenunitingnations.org. Vanessa also enjoys traveling, going to the beach, dancing, reading, photography, and extreme sports such as sky diving and skiing.