Elson was discovered at age 16 by Debra Burns, the owner of Boss Model Management in Manchester. She began modeling locally and left Oldham a year later. Steven Meisel photographed Elson for the cover of Italian "Vogue" on her 18th birthday, thus launching her career worldwide. She has worked with most of the world's major fashion photographers and fashion designers, including Arthur Elgort, Bruce Weber, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Mert and Marcus, Steven Klein, Patrick Demarchelier, Helmut Newton and Ellen Von Unwerth.