Well, it was good while it lasted. Arguably one of the most successful supermodels of her generation, Gisele Bundchen returned to the catwalk for a one-off, very special occasion. Despite retiring from the runway in April of 2015, Bundchen strutted the catwalk in a spectacular close to the 2016 Olympic ceremony.
The crowds were cheering, music was blaring and millions were watching from all across the globe as Bundchen came out of retirement in a Alexandre Herchovitch dress. Born in Brazil herself, Bundchen was the perfect glamorous end to the extravaganza, which resulted in a vocal wave of support for the model. Twitter and Google were on fire, with Google Trends exploding, seeing a “1,850% spike in searched for @giseleofficial in the past hour” according to their Twitter account.
Not that she is one to need extra popularity. Back in November 2015, creative director Giovanni Bianco compiled over 300 of her photo shoots and images into a coffee table book (Gisele), which sold out before even being released. And it cost $700 a copy. Appearing in FIB’s Top Models Volume 61 “IT Girls”, alongside other Supermodels, icons and stars of the moment like Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid, Bundchen proves that she is still one of the most relevant and successful models of the time.
Ranked number 99 on the Forbes “2016 Celebrity 100 Earnings” with a reported worth of $30.5 Million, the 36 year-old is a seasoned pro when it comes to dealing with high-stake shows. Having walked for most of the High-End Designer brands throughout her career, including Alexander McQueen, Dior, Armani and Chanel, Bundchen impressed fashionistas and sport stars alike with her Olympic walk. Canadian Olympic Kayaker Adam van Koeverden tweeted that the model walked almost “half the 50km race walk course in 5” stilettos.”
Bundchen herself wrote on Instagram that it was one of the longest runways she has ever walked, and that she was “humbled and honoured to be part of this historic moment for my country.”
It’s yet to be determined as to whether her walk was the finale to both the Olympic Ceremony and her Runway Career (again), or whether it may be the beginning of a return to the Catwalks. Here’s hoping to the later.
