Biography
Amber Valletta is a one of the biggest models of her generation, having inherited the supermodel crown. She later left the industry to successfully battle addiction, and has returned in full force to her modelling career, as well as working as an ambassador for young models.
Valetta studied at the Booker T. Washington High school, entering the industry for the first time the age of 15, when her mother enrolled her in modelling school at the Linda Layman agency. She was then discovered at age 17, Valletta became part of a group of models that followed in the footsteps of the original supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. Alongside Kate Moss and Shalom Harlow, with whom she hosted MTV’s House of Style between 1995 and 1996, Valletta ushered in a new look in fashion.
During her modelling career, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue 13 times, her first of which was one of her first jobs at age 18. She has had covers with Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, Interview and Elle.
Valletta left modelling to pursue acting in 2000, going on to take roles in both television and film. Arguably the most successful model to take up acting, Valletta has starred in "Revenge", "Legends" and the 2005 rom-com "Hitch".
In 2014, Valletta launched her socially conscious e-commerce platform Master & Muse, focusing her efforts to comment slave labour in fashion.
Sober since she was 25, Valletta is an outspoken advocate on the need for greater support of drug and alcohol addiction, which she discussed at BoF’s Voices gathering in December 2016. That year, Valetta starred in music videos for Keith Urban and Fergie while In 2017, Valletta continued her modelling work with campaigns for Marks and Spencer, Escada and a cover for Vogue. Valetta also holds a position as the spokesperson for Oceana's Seafood Contamination Campaign.