Gisele Bundchen

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen actually ended her stint as a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2007, but it is impossible to mention the name of the lingerie giant without recalling the image of Gisele strutting her incredibly sexy body in nothing but bra, panties and a pair of wings.

Brazil or Brasil Girls Love to Model

Gisele Bundchen
Gisele was born on July 20, 1980 in Tres de Maio and grew up in Rio do Sul, Brazil. She has five sisters including a fraternal twin named Patricia. Gisele is a mix of Brazilian and German ancestry. She originally planned to be a volleyball player and play for the Brazilian team, Sogipa. Her mother insisted that Gisele and her two sisters join a modeling course in 1993. Gisele went to a school excursion in Sao Paulo the following year and was discovered by a modeling agency when she was in a shopping mall. The agency made her join the Elite Look of the Year contest and she placed second. In 1996, Gisele moved to New York City and began her professional modeling career.

Fashion Magazine Photo Model

Gisele Bundchen on the runway
She landed in the cover of Vogue in July 1999. This was soon followed by covers from all the prestigious magazines such as Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. The fashion world heralded the success of Gisele as the return of the model with real, womanly curves, putting an end to the era of the “heroin chic” represented by Kate Moss. She became a favorite among acclaimed fashion photographers and designers, and has worked with the likes of Annie Lebovitz and Steven Meisel. Gisele became the face for a lot of names in fashion such as Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana and Victoria’s Secret, whom she worked with for seven years.

The supermodel also signed lucrative commercial deals such as Volkswagen and Apple Inc. Her power and influence in the modeling world made her the highest-paid model in the world, according to Forbes. Gisele earned USD33 million in 2007 and USD35 million in 2008. Gisele has expanded her empire into movies and retail. She has appeared in several Hollywood movies and established her own footwear company Ipanema Gisele Bundchen.

Gisele Bundchen Model’s Love Life

The Brazilian beauty is currently dating star quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, to whom she is reportedly engaged. Before Tom, she had several high profile relationships with actors Kelly Slater and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Model Gisele Bundchen walks the runway at The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at the 69th Regiment Armory November 9, 2005 in New York City. (Getty Images)more pics »

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