Welcome to Fashion Industry Broadcast’s Top Ten countdown for our upcoming TOP MODELS ‘It Girls’ Vol. 61 series involving the biggest names in the modelling world. We love giving you a little taste of what we’ve been up to, so each week we’ll be counting down to the launch of our brand spankin’ new glossy…
Brazil is home to many world renowned beauties, from their sun-kissed beaches and rich culture, to one of our favourite ‘It Girls’, Gisele Bündchen. Of German decent, she is known for her iconic blond wavy hair, bombshell blue eyes, and glowing skin – so it’s no wonder she became a worldwide phenomenon.
Bündchen began making a name for herself shortly after being discovered by Elite Models in Porto Alegre while on a school trip at the young age of 14, and she became an industry leader for being the forefront face of the ‘Brazilian era’.
Originally wanting to pursue a career in volleyball, her plans changed quickly due to the great modelling opportunity she was presented with, and in 1997 she was on her way to New York. Here, she met her two co-champions, prestigious photographer’s Mario Testino and Steven Meisel. The duo convinced the fashion world to take a gamble on the Brazilian teenager, telling the world that she was “mesmerising.”
Bündchen landed her first cover in 1998 with British Vogue, and her success snowballed from there. She quickly became the most in-demand model of her generation, securing a previously unheard of 10 covers in less than four years.
Not surprisingly, some of the biggest names in fashion such as Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren were all-aboard the Bündchen movement, wanting to feature the Brazilian beauty in their campaigns. Luckily Testino and Meisel were betting with a good hand and Bündchen took the world by storm, creating a beauty empire and taking the crown of the world’s highest paid model in 2004.
Today, a decade later, she still holds that title; according to Forbes, she has a net worth of approximately $320 million U.S. dollars. With all of her other endorsements, runway shows, and projects, Forbes projected that she would achieve the title of the first billionaire model.
Probably most notably known for her work for Victoria’s Secret, she also has appeared on the front covers of Rolling Stones, TIME, and Forbes magazine, as well as countless other fashion magazine covers.
Whenever a model works for the worldwide giant, Victoria’s Secret, it seems to always be the apex of their career. Victoria’s Secret is associated with the most elite beauties on earth, so being handpicked by the brand signals the epitome of ‘making it’.
Bündchen is managed by global agency power-house IMG Models, and continues to be a smart business woman by establishing her brand through her social media presence and smart campaign choices.
She shows us first hand that there is a lot more than just ‘looking good’ in modelling – by taking advantage of the right opportunities (and wisely turning down the wrong ones), she has shown the world that she has mastered the business of beauty and is clearly more than just a pretty face.
After being in a relationship for the better part of the early 2000’s with notorious playboy Leonardo Dicaprio, she settled down with the New England Patriot’s star quarterback, Tom Brady in 2009. Brady and Bündchen have two children, Benjamin and Vivian.
More recently, Bündchen, now in her mid-thirties, announced her decision to retire from the catwalk.
Bündchen is adored for her ability to test the waters on all types of issues from pregnancy to motherhood to maintaining a huge social media following. In late 2012 she stirred up a controversy for sharing a photo on social media of her at work whilst breastfeeding her child; and she still managed to come out on top for being so relatable.
Bündchen’s name will seem to always coincide with the term ‘It Girl’, because she entered this business as a fresh face and ultimately configured it to work on her own terms. In more recent news, the Brazilian babe, who is considered “old” for the modelling industry actually decided to take herself out of the runway game, something practically unheard of. This goes to show just how much of an ‘It Girl’ she really is.
Whereas some men and women are killing to break into the industry, our very own golden girl just removed herself from it, on her terms and in her own time. After years of strutting down the runway, she chose to do so one last time in (of course) her home country of Brazil, where everything had started for her 20 years prior. Bündchen’s last runway job was for the Colcci show on April 15, 2015 and of course her handsome beau Brady was there to witness it from the front row.
By the end of the show the visibly emotional supermodel looked genuinely grateful as she was surrounded by applauding fellow models. Bündchen is a true legend in the modelling world and people’s reactions to her ending her time on the runway cements this notion. No doubt, we will continue to hear her name buzz around, especially for being the woman who called the shots.
Stay tuned for our upcoming TOP MODELS ‘It Girls’ Vol. 61 coming soon!
