Estelle Lefébure

Estelle grew up in Normandy, with her mother Denise and father, Gilles Lefébure, who managed a chain of beauty salons. For many years she believed she was an only child, discovering after her father’s death that she had half-siblings on his side of the family. At the age of nineteen she moved to Paris on her own to pursue modeling and soon signed with a modeling agency, beginning her professional career.

Estelle appeared in international magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Glamour and Cosmopolitan, and was featured in advertising campaigns for brands including Guess, Christian Dior and Revlon, which made her one of the well-known French models of the late 1980s and 1990s.

During the 2000s she gradually expanded her career into acting, appearing in several French films and television productions, while also remaining a familiar presence in media and public events, including frequent appearances at the Cannes Film Festival.

Outside her work, Estelle focuses on health and wellness, has written books on lifestyle and nutrition, and supports several charitable and animal-welfare initiatives.

In 1989 she married singer David Hallyday. The couple had two daughters: Ilona Smet (born 1995), who later became a fashion model, and Emma Smet (born 1997), who pursued a career in acting. The marriage ended in 2001. She later married French television host and producer Arthur (Jacques Essebag) in 2004; the couple separated in 2008. In 2010 she welcomed her son, Giuliano, with Italian restaurateur Pascal Ramette.