Well, this should’ve been done a long time ago but heck, we never really got into it. So here she is not in a Timeless Tuesday feature! Gisele Bundchen needs no introduction as she is regarded as the world’s highest-paid model, with hefty profits from over 20 fashion and personal care brands she supports and her own fashion line. Her transformation from a 14-year-old uncomfortable teen model to a full-fledged multiplatform business tycoon has frequently been the topic of the fashion industry.
Who is Gisele Bundchen
This tall-legged beauty with navy-blue eyes and honey-colored hair rocketed to international prominence after winning a record-breaking contract with the American lingerie boutique Victoria’s Secret, which helped the company develop from an average bra brand to a global lingerie powerhouse. Her appearances in international fashion publications and magazines, as well as her regular catwalks at fashion shows, cemented her status as the most in-demand supermodel.
This first-ever model millionaire is regarded as Brazil’s most popular fashion export, having appeared on Forbes’ list of ‘top-earning models’ for eight years in a row. Aside from being a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme, she also leads the Rainforest Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to biodiversity protection and sustainability. This Brazilian beauty has frequently been featured in the media for her relationships with high-profile male celebrities.
Her Early Life
Gisele Bundchen was born on July 20, 1980, in the Brazilian town of Tres de Maio, Rio Grande do Sul, to German immigrants Valdir Bundchen, a university professor, and Vania Nonnenmacher, a bank teller. She was raised in Horizontina.
When she was 14, she was seen by an Elite modeling scout on a school trip in Sao Paulo, and she went on to win second place in the ‘Elite Look of the Year’ contest. She competed in the ‘Elite Model Look’ global competition held in Ibiza, Spain. She finished fourth and moved to Sao Paulo to pursue a career in modeling.
Career Journey
Following the Elite Model Look competition, Gisele came to New York in 1996 to make her catwalk debut at New York Fashion Week. Her high-fashion breakthrough came in 1997 when she walked in Alexander McQueen’s Spring 1998 ‘Rain’ ready-to-wear show in London, dubbed ‘The Body’.
In 1998, she debuted on the cover of British Vogue and became the most sought-after model, putting an end to Kate Moss‘ ‘heroin chic’ phase and re-establishing the ‘ sexy model’ era. She has shot advertisements for fashion brands such as Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Missoni, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Chloe, and Gianfranco Ferre. The next year, she appeared on the cover of French Vogue, titled ‘The Return of the Sexy Model’, and the cover of i-D, titled ‘A Girl Called Gisele’.
After being named ‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’ by Rolling Stone in 2000, Gisele’s career took off, with her opening shows for Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Valentino, and Marc Jacobs. She has been on the covers and editorials of the world’s top fashion magazines, including Vogue, Sunday Times Style, i-D, GQ, Elle, Numero, Remix, Marie Claire, Glamour, Vanidades, Woman Arabia, and Vanity Fair. Gisele was also the face of many high-end fashion labels, including Chanel, Nivea, H&M, Carolina Herrera, David Yurman, Versace, Christian Dior, HOPE, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Ralph Lauren.
Gisele ended her contract with Victoria’s Secret in 2007, on the pretext of concentrating on other projects and denying rumors of payment disagreements.
Highlights and Achievements
Gisele Bundchen became an international celebrity after signing a $25 million deal with Victoria’s Secret in 2000, elevating her reputation from model to supermodel. She wore the most expensive fantasy bra, ‘Red Hot Fantasy Bra’, worth $15 million, and the second most expensive fantasy bra, ‘Sexy Splendor Fantasy Bra’, worth $12.5 million, to Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows in 2000 and 2005, respectively.
Gisele topped Forbes’ ‘highest-paid models’ list in 2014, earning $47 million, more than Miranda Kerr and Kate Moss combined. She was ranked #21 on E!’s ‘Hottest Celebrity Bodies’ list. Television in 2006. In 2008, the New York Daily News named her the fourth most powerful person in the fashion industry. In 2009, Harper’s Bazaar named her one of the ‘top 26 finest models of all time’.
She was named one of the ‘Top Accomplished Women Entertainers’ by CEOWORLD magazine in 2011. In the same year, FHM and FHM Australia ranked her as #45 and #95 on their lists of the ‘100 Sexiest Women in the World’. In 2012, Forbes rated her as #61 on the ‘Most Powerful Celebrities’ list and #4 on the ‘World’s Most Powerful Latino Celebrity’ list.
Time named her to the All-TIME 100 Fashion Icons list of the ‘100 Most Influential Fashion Icons Since 1923′. In 2014, she was ranked #89 on Forbes’ ‘Most Powerful Women in the World’ and #5 on Forbes Brazil’s ’25 Biggest Celebrities in Brazil’.
Her Advocacies and Philanthropy
Despite her supermodel reputation, Gisele is well-known for her dedication to environmental problems, advocating for sustainable living, and supporting a variety of environmental groups.
In 2008, she created Projeto Agua Limpa (Clean Water Project), a water conservation and plant recovery initiative in her birthplace Horizontina. Gisele also became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2009. She is involved with a variety of charities and issues. She has generously supported the Zero Hunger Program, the Product Red initiative, the Japanese Red Cross Society, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and ISA – the Socio-environmental Institute.
Facts and Trivia
Gisele Bundchen began dating Hollywood celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio in 2000. Their high-profile on-and-off relationship ended in 2005, without giving any explanation for the split. She met Tom Brady, the quarterback for the New England Patriots, in 2006 and married him in a twilight ceremony at Santa Monica’s St. Monica Catholic Church in February 2009. The couple has two children: Benjamin Rein Bundchen Brady (2009) and Vivian Lake Bundchen Brady (2012), as well as Brady’s son, John Edward Thomas, from his former relationship with Bridget Moynahan.
In 2008, her black-and-white photograph, taken by Irving Penn, was auctioned and sold for US$193,000, the highest price among dozens of photos displayed at Christie’s International in New York. Gisele also creates jelly sandals for Brazilian shoemaker Grendene, as well as her lingerie line, Gisele Bundchen Intimates, flip-flops, Ipanema Gisele Bundchen, and cosmetics line, Sejaa Pure Skincare.
Gisele Bündchen has the Guinness World Record for being the highest-paid model for over a decade, demonstrating her extraordinary accomplishment in the fashion industry.
This supermodel is fluent in several languages, including Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, and even basic German, demonstrating her exceptional language skills.
Gisele, a devoted advocate for health and well-being, has written a book titled “Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life,” in which she discusses how to balance career, family, and personal well-being.
She is also a successful businesswoman as well as a model, having established her own brand of skincare products called Sejaa Pure Skincare, which reflects her entrepreneurial energy and commitment to natural beauty. Gisele also made her acting debut in the 2004 film ‘Taxi’, directed by Tim Story, where she played the leader of a bank robbers’ gang. She appeared in the icon fashion film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ in 2006 as a cameo.
Her Body Measurements
Gisele stands 5 feet, 11 inches, and rocks a 36-24-35 figure.
Gisele Bundchen Photos
Join her over 23.2 million followers on Instagram for her latest lifestyle and modeling content.
And don’t forget to check out our Gisele Bundchen page for a good amount of her pictures.
