There are supermodels — and then there’s Gisele Bündchen.
Following her rise to fame in the late ’90s, the Brazilian bombshell became a household name after scoring a five-year contract with Victoria’s Secret. Between fronting campaigns for top fashion houses and appearing on countless magazine covers, Bündchen is one of the biggest models in the world, as well as one of her field’s top earners.
Known for her iconic “horse walk,” Bündchen ushered in an entire generation of Brazilian models, paving the way for fellow Angels like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Lais Ribeiro.
You May Also Like
In honor of her birthday on Saturday, WWD looks back at some of Bündchen’s biggest achievements.
1997
After being rejected from castings 42 times, Bündchen made her high fashion runway debut in 1997, walking the runway topless during Alexander McQueen’s spring 1998 show. The model, who barely spoke English at the time, was only eighteen years old.
“I had no idea what to do,” she wrote in her 2018 memoir “Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life.” “Mostly, I thought about how disappointed and embarrassed my parents would be. I tried to hold back my tears, but they just kept coming down, and the black feathers glued to my lashes began coming unstuck.”
1999
It wasn’t long before Bündchen picked up campaigns with major labels such as Versace, Valentino and Ralph Lauren. In 1999, she was awarded Model of the Year at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.
“I would like to thank all of those who supported me throughout my career, especially my family and my friends,” Bündchen said in her acceptance speech.
2000
Bündchen signed a five-year contract with Victoria’s Secret in 2000, becoming one of the brand’s Angel spokesmodels. That year, she modeled the Red Hot Fantasy Bra on the runway.
Bündchen’s bedazzled undergarments, worth $15 million, were adorned with diamonds and rubies. According to Guinness World Records, the Red Hot Fantasy Bra is the most expensive piece of lingerie ever made.
2006
Bündchen made her acting debut in 2004’s “Taxi,” but her appearance in “The Devil Wears Prada” has stood the test of time. Her portrayal of Serena, an employee at the fictional Runway magazine, also inspired the now-viral “office siren” aesthetic.
2007
Bündchen’s time with Victoria’s Secret came to an end in 2007. “For the first five years, I felt comfortable modeling in lingerie, but as time went on, I felt less and less at ease being photographed walking the runway wearing just a bikini or a thong,” she wrote in her memoir. “Give me a tail, a cape, wings — please, anything to cover me up a little!”
After becoming the face of Dolce & Gabbana’s The One in 2006, Bündchen continued to front in campaigns for the fragrance, attending launch events as its official spokesmodel.
2007 also marked the first time that Bündchen was named the highest-paid supermodel in the world. Forbes estimated her net worth at $33 million.
2016
Bündchen announced her retirement from runway modeling in 2015, but when it came to representing her home country during the opening ceremony at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she couldn’t pass it up.
“This is for sure the longest runway I have ever walked in my life and by far with the most amount of people watching, so it is a little nerve-wracking,” she told People at the time. “This is a very special moment for my country and I am humbled that they invited me to be a part of such a special celebration.”
Dreamed up by Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch, Bündchen strutted her stuff for the final time in a plunging gold-sequined gown.
2023
Following her highly publicized divorce from football player Tom Brady, 2023 was widely considered Bündchen’s fashion comeback. She appeared in campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo, among others, and made her first Met Gala appearance following her split with Brady.
That summer, she also returned to Victoria’s Secret after 16 years, costarring with former Angels Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel in The Icon campaign. “Loving yourself is not a selfish act,” said Bündchen in a video teaser for the lingerie brand. “The more that I honor myself and my needs, the best I can show up for everyone around me.”
