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.
In honor of her birthday on Saturday, WWD looks back at some of Bündchen’s biggest achievements.
1997
Gisele Bündchen walks the runway during Alexander McQueen’s spring 1998 fashion show.
Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
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
Gisele Bündchen at the 1999 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.
Getty Images
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…