Aside from their world cup soccer team, their gorgeous supermodels make Brazil world-famous. With a population of over 200 million, Brazil prides itself with the abundance of beautiful females. No wonder many of the world’s top supermodels are from the South American nation. If modeling were an Olympic sport, Brazil would have surely bagged gold medals every time.
1. Gisele Bundchen
Born: July 20, 1980, Três de Maio, Rio Grande do Sul
Height: 5 ft 11 in
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-24-34
Gisele Bundchen is undoubtedly the most famous Brazilian model and one of the most influential Brazilians in the fashion world. She has topped the Forbes’ list of the highest paid models since 2002 and has made more money than any other model in the world. The 36-year old supermodel is retired, but she still made $44 million in 2015. In 2004, she was ranked No. 89 on Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women in the world and the only model on the list.
Bundchen’s success triggered the modeling craze in Brazil. In 1999, she appeared on the cover of Vogue, which she was dubbed “The Return of the Sexy Model,” ending the era of “heroin chic” modeling. For 2000 to 2007, she became one of Victoria’s Secret Angels and pioneered the famous “horse walk.” During her career, she has been on the cover of over 1,200 magazines throughout the world and has been the face of over 20 international brands.
Her life seems to be the ultimate teen girl’s dream. She is sexy, flawless and beautiful with a very successful modeling career; plus, she has a handsome and skilled quarterback for a husband – Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.
2. Adriana Lima
2. Adriana LimaBorn: June 12, 1981, Salvador, Bahia
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-24-35
Most famous for her work at Victoria’s Secret, Adriana Lima was named “the most valuable Victoria’s Secret Angel” in 2017. She is the longest-running model for the premium lingerie company, with her first appearance in 1999 when she was 18 years old.
Since then, Lima appeared on subsequent Victoria’s Secret shows and performed at the opening at several editions. She had the honor of wearing the $2 million “Fantasy Bra” for Victoria’s Secret. She has also been on the covers of various fashion magazines and is now the face of Maybelline.
At the age of 15, she already won Ford’s “Supermodel of Brazil” competition. She said she never thought of being a model – she only had to accompany a friend and join a modeling contest with her, but she brought home the crown. She even wanted to become a nun before she became Victoria’s Secret model. She was married to Serbian NBA player Marko Jaric in June 2009, but they divorced in 2016.
3. Alessandra Ambrosio
Born: April 11, 1981, Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Measurements: 34-23-34
36-year-old Alessandra Ambrosio knew what to do with her life since childhood. At the age of 8, she decided to be a model. At the age of 12, she enrolled in a modeling class and then joined a national modeling competition at the age of 14. Since then, she has covered a lot of the world’s leading magazines and represented fashion’s top brands.
Ambrosio is a highly versatile model, who switched from Victoria’s Secret glamorous lingerie to haute couture. But she is very famous for her work at Victoria’s Secret, and she was chosen as the first spokesmodel for the company’s PINK line.
She is engaged to businessman Jamie Mazur, founder of RE/DONE jeans since 2008 and have two children together.
4. Isabeli Fontana
Born: July 4, 1983, Curitiba, Parana
Height: 5 ft 9.5 in
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-23-35
Isabeli Fontana started her career in a controversial appearance in the Victoria’s Secret lingerie catalog at the age of 16. However, people took notice and she was quickly snapped up by modeling agencies and was soon signed by Versace, Valentino, and Ralph Lauren. She has also been the face of a variety of advertising campaigns.
Her first major stint at modeling was when she won a junior model contest in Brazil at the age of 13. Fontana has two sons from two previous marriages, and her last engagement was called off in 2013.
5. Ana Beatriz Barros
Born: May 29, 1982, Itabira, Minas Gerais
Height: 5 ft 11 in
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Measurements: 35-23.5-35
Ana Beatriz Barros was discovered while on a holiday at Rio de Janeiro with her older sister Patricia when she was 13 years old. Her beauty was exceptional due to her Portuguese, Spanish and Italian ancestry, all the while staying Brazilian. Both of them became models, but Ana Beatriz became a supermodel. She was a familiar face in several fashion campaigns, as well as bikini, lingerie and cosmetic campaigns since 1996.
Barros was best known for being the face of Guess, Bebe and Chanel cosmetics. She has also appeared in Victoria’s Secret shows and in the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue from 2002 to 2008. She also made a contribution to Jennifer Lopez’s fashion line, the JLO Lingerie.
In 2016, she married Greek Egyptian millionaire Karim El Chiaty. Her Greek island wedding was attended by supermodels such as Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Isabeli Fontana, and Fernanda Motta.
6. Cintia Dicker
Born: December 6, 1986, Campo Bom, Rio Grande do Sul
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Hair: Brown/Red
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-24-34
With a freckled face, ginger hair and blue eyes, Cintia Dicker doesn’t look distinctly Brazilian. Her German descent has a strong impact on her looks, but she came from the same state as Bundchen and Ambrosio.
Dicker has been on the cover and catalogs for various fashion magazines like Elle and Marie Claire; and has modeled for big brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Dolce and Gabanna. She was best known for being featured at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for 2009 to 2013.
In 2010, she married Brazilian male model Rafael Lazzini. Her modeling career has helped her support children’s charities in Brazil.
7. Raquel Zimmermann
Born: May 6, 1983, Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-24-35
Raquel Zimmerman was discovered at the age of 14 in her hometown and her early modeling career took her to Paris and Tokyo. In 2000, she appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia and her career went uphill fast shortly thereafter. She represented luxury fashion brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Prada and many others. She also joined Victoria’s Secret in 2002.
Zimmerman believes in transcendental meditation although she is Brazilian with German and Portuguese descent. Apart from modeling, she appeared in Lady Gaga’s music video for “Born This Way.”
8. Izabel Goulart
Born: October 23, 1984, São Carlos, Sao Paulo
Height: 5 ft 9.5 in
Hair: Light Brown
Eyes: Brown
Measurements: 32.5-23.5-35
At the age of 14, Izabel Goulart moved to Sao Pablo to pursue a modeling career, and then to France afterward to develop her career. Ironically, she was made fun of when she was in school because of her tall and slim physique; she was nicknamed ‘giraffe.’
When Goulart walked during her first fashion show appearance, she experienced a wardrobe malfunction when her top fell open. It made a buzz on many Brazilian newspapers, but she didn’t let it ruin her dreams. She, later on, returned to the runway to wear collections of high fashion designers. She rose to fame after becoming Victoria’s Secret Angel from 2005 to 2016. Goulart was also famous for her work in Armani Exchange, as she replaced fellow Angel Alessandra Ambrosio as the face of the label in 2008.
9. Flavia de Oliveira
Born: July 17, 1983, Londrina, Parana
Height: 5 ft 9 in
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Measurements: 34-24-35
Flavia de Oliveira may not be that famous, but she has definitely made her mark in the fashion industry. She has been a fixture on the fashion scene since 2005. She participated in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion shows for 2006 to 2008 and 2010 to 2011.
Flavia has also been in the fashion shows of A-list designers like Valentino, Chanel, and Dior, among others. She was also a model for well-known brands like Dolce & Gabanna, Michael Kors, Pomellato and Salvatore Ferragamo.
10. Camila Alves
Born: January 28, 1982, Itambacuri, Minas Gerais
Height: 175 cm
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Measurements: 34-23-34
The life of Camila Alves is a living testimony proving that one can truly work your way up to the top. She was born and raised in Brazil, but when she was 15 years old, she traveled to Los Angeles to visit her aunt and decided to stay there. She worked as a housemaid and waitress to earn money. For four years, she became fluent in English and was soon discovered for her exquisite beauty. At the age of 19, she moved to New York to pursue her modeling career.
She quickly saw herself walking on runways, modeling high profile brands like Levi’s, Dior and Mango. She probably was most popular for being the face of Macy’s clothing line in 2012. While modeling, she caught the attention of Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey. They were married in 2012 and have three children together. Now, she has put modeling aside to focus on her successful handbag business, Muxo fashion line.