Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Caroline Bündchen (born July 20, 1980) is a Brazilian fashion model, author, entrepreneur, and environmental activist. Bündchen is the all-time highest-paid model. In 2007, Bündchen was listed as the 16th richest woman in the entertainment industry by Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of $150 million. She was also ranked as the 89th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine in 2014.
Early life
Bündchen was born in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to Vânia Nonnenmacher and Valdir Bündchen. She has five sisters, Raquel, Graziela, Gabriela, Rafaela, and Patrícia. Bündchen's father was a professor and her mother was a bank clerk. She was raised in a strict Catholic family.
Bündchen was discovered by a modeling agent at a shopping mall in São Paulo, Brazil, when she was 14 years old. She moved to New York City in 1996 to pursue a modeling career.
Modeling career
Bündchen's first major modeling break came in 1997 when she appeared on the cover of the Brazilian edition of Vogue magazine. She has since appeared on the covers of numerous international fashion magazines, including American Vogue, British Vogue, French Vogue, Italian Vogue, and German Vogue. Bündchen has also walked the runway for many top fashion designers, including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino, and Versace.
In 2000, Bündchen signed a contract with Victoria's Secret, becoming one of the company's most recognizable models. She walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show every year from 2000 to 2006. Bündchen was also the face of the Victoria's Secret Dream Angels line of lingerie.
In 2007, Bündchen announced that she was leaving Victoria's Secret to focus on her other projects. She has since continued to model for a variety of brands, including Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and H&M.
Personal life
Bündchen married American football quarterback Tom Brady in 2009. They have two children together, a son named Benjamin Rein and a daughter named Vivian Lake. Bündchen also has a stepson, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, from Brady's previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Bündchen is a vocal advocate for environmental protection. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). She has also worked with a number of environmental organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Rainforest Alliance.
Awards and achievements
Bündchen has won numerous awards for her modeling work, including:
- Four VH1 Fashion Awards for Model of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- Two Teen Choice Awards for Choice Female Model (2001, 2002)
- Two People's Choice Awards for Favorite Female Model (2002, 2003)
- The British Fashion Awards' Model of the Year Award (2000)
- The Elle Style Awards' Model of the Year Award (2002)
- The Glamour Awards' Woman of the Year Award (2009)
Bündchen was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2007.
