Nancy Donahue Biography

Nancy Donahue (born February 16, 1958) is an American fashion model and entrepreneur.

Early life

The daughter of a noted lawyer and a philanthropist mother, Donahue grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, as one of eleven children. While attending Lasell College in Auburndale, Massachusetts, she was discovered by Mademoiselle magazine after winning a modeling competition. She appeared in the August 1978 edition and went on to feature on the cover of 10 more issues of the magazine. Donahue signed up with the upstart modeling agency, Elite, and moved to New York City at the age of eighteen.

Career

Donahue worked alongside some of the top international models of the 1980s, including Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, Gia Carangi, Janice Dickinson and Paulina Porizkova. Donahue's face was on the cover and the inside fashion editorial of countless fashion magazines including American Vogue, French Vogue, Vogue Italia, British Vogue, Italian Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Self, Redbook, Glamour and the New York Times and, more recently, More! magazine. Donahue was the face for Helena Rubenstein's beauty campaign in the UK and Virginia Slims in the USA.

Donahue often did the Paris collections for American Vogue along with Gia Carangi, Joan Severance and Kelly Le Brock. She also did some runway work in her early career for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Perry Ellis in New York and Hong Kong. Donahue also did countless catalogs for Lord and Taylor, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's. She has worked with numerous photographers including Francesco Scavullo, Irving Penn, Steve Landis, Arthur Elgort, Denis Piel and Patrick Demarchelier.

Nancy co-authored ONE on ONE with her former husband, the fashion model, Jeff Aquilon, published by Simon & Schuster, a best-selling book about two people giving to each other physically and emotionally.

Donahue was the Pastry Chef at Bianco's Catering Company in Chelmsford, Massachusetts for the ten years where she won numerous awards for her pastry at different events.

Donahue went on to become and NSCA and ACE certified Personal Trainer, Pilates and Yoga Teacher. From there, she became a Fitness Director of a high end country club, Quail Ridge. It was during this time that Donahue and her current business partners developed the BelleCore bodybuffer. After, three years of research and development with MIT and Harvard Engineers, BelleCore bodybuffers launched in 2010. BelleCore received an exclusive at Neiman Marcus and Harrods of London and is now sold at high end spas across the country such as Exhale, Cal-A-Vie, KO'AN spa and many more.

Acting

• Exposed, with Natashia Kinski, 1983
• Portfolio, with Kelly Emberg, Julie Wolfe and Paulina Porizkova, 1983
• The Self-Destruction of Gia, with Francesco Scavullo, Diane von Frstenberg, and Janice Dickinson, 2002

Education

She graduated from Lasell College in 1978 and Newbury College with a chef's degree at the top of her class in 1998.

Fitness qualifications

Donahue is an ACE and NSCA certified Personal Trainer and has 200-hour RYT from Yogafit, and is certified with Physical Mind Institute in Standing and Mat Pilates, as well as certified in Mat Pilates with Yogafit. Donahue is passionate about health and fitness and has been training and teaching for the past six years at various clubs in the area.

Donahue has been a triathlete for the past 16 years and has participated in 100 triathlons, one being the "Escape from Alcatraz" triathlon and "Wildflower Triathlon" in California. In almost all of her events, she placed in top 10 of her age group. Also, ran one Boston marathon and four New York marathons.

Donahue resides in New York City. She has a son, George Eng, from her second marriage. He is a graduate of College of Charleston class of 2011. He currently resides in New York City.