Adriana Lima

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Adriana Lima

Birth name Adriana Lima
Date of birth June 12, 1981 (age 25)
Place of birth Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Hair color dark brown
Eye color blue/gray (appears green)
Weight 52 kg/114 pounds

Adriana Francesca Lima (born June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) is a Brazilian supermodel, best known for her work with Victoria's Secret.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Adriana Lima, commonly known as "the best face in the industry" and "the most in demand runway model in the world",[1] rose to stardom out of less than glamorous conditions. Lima was discovered while shopping at a local mall at the age of 13. At the age of 15, she finished in first place in a Ford Supermodel of Brazil model search. Lima later followed with a second place finish in the 1996 Ford Supermodel of the World contest. [1]

Shortly after, Lima moved to New York City, and eventually moved on from Ford, signing with Elite Model Management. Her early career consisted mostly of fashion editorial work (with early appearances in international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire in 1997/1998), as well as runway work (Christian Lacroix, Valentino, and others). Lima's first big break came when she was featured in a Vassarette billboard in Times Square. Her print career followed, and like many other famous names (Claudia Schiffer, Laetitia Casta, Eva Herzigova), Lima became a GUESS? Girl in their 2000 Costanoa and has face campaign.[2]

Lima continued to build upon her entry, doing more print work (Maybelline, bebe, Mossimo, BCBG) and gracing the cover and editorials of more high fashion magazines (Harper's Bazaar, ELLE). Probably best known for her Victoria's Secret work and Angel status (along with Heidi Klum and Gisele Bündchen), Lima first graced the VS runway in 2000, and was the show opener for the 2003 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.[3]

In 2001 Adriana Lima starred in BMW Films short, The Follow alongside actors Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Forest Whitaker. In the film, Owen's character is hired to follow Lima's, who is suspected of cheating on her famous husband, played by Rourke. The film had a runtime of 8:47 including credits, was written by Andrew Kevin Walker, and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. Even though her performance received rave reveiws and she was offered other big parts for movies such as Terminator III, and The Matrix Revolutions Lima made it clear that acting is not her priority and that she only did The Follow because it was a short film.[4]

Adriana Lima is currently one of the most respected and in demand models in the business and is the third highest paid model in the world (behind Gisele Bundchen and Karolina Kurkova). She is currently represented by New York's DNA Models, Brazil's Elite Models and the European Ford Models.

[edit] Personal life

Lima has has been romantically linked to celebrities in this past, including a rumored engagement with rocker Lenny Kravitz and Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter[citation needed]. She is currently known to be dating Prince André Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein. (who has been given the nickname of Vince the Prince by the press/Lima's fans) This relationship has been a relatively "hot" topic for the society spy columns and celebrity watchers, specifically Page 6, New York Post and Hola! online magazine.

Lima gained a massive amount of fame in Italy after her mega contract with the Italian cellphone carrier TIM grew very popular. In total it earned her 6 million dollars and she has said she is not able to walk down the street in Italy:

   
“
 It's insane! Some people ask me for my autograph and a picture, but mostly they will follow me around. They follow me into bathrooms! They lack subtlety as well. Rome is the worst, I've had a group of about 30 people and then a load of photographers surround me in a circle while I'm trying to [walk] with André."
   
”

Lima does charitable work helping with an orphanage, "Caminhos da Luz" (Ways of Light), located in her hometown. She helps with construction to expand the orphanage, and buys clothes for poor children in Salvador, Bahia. [1]

Lima's father walked out on her and her mother when Adriana was 6 months old, Lima has met him only once since. When she was about 15 years old Lima wanted to travel to Miami for a modelling competition but she was not allowed to leave Brazil without certain legal papers that her father owned. Adriana has said that she does not hate her father because "there is a reason for everything" and she believes that her life was fine growing up and that the presence of an unhappy father could have resulted in an unhappy home environment.[5]

   
“
 I wouldn't change anything about my life. I am afraid that if I did things might have turned out differently and I am currently living my dream. If that means I had to live a poor [life] and I have to deal with demons then I will do it. I got through everything and I am very proud of myself...Life without a father was confusing at times, I didn't know if I was to blame and I didn't know anything about him...I love my mother and I have a bond with her that most people don't share with their own mothers. It all worked out.
   
”

[edit] Quotes

  • "Modeling is a tough job, your co-workers are your rivals, it really puts a damper on your perspective of other girls." [2]
  • "Fashion is about good energy. It's about feelings. That's what I have to give the people, good energy and good feelings." [2]
  • "I dont mind paparazzi and photographers. I don't really get why they want my picture though, I mean, I'm a model, there are tons of pictures of me out there! But I'm quite lucky that the paparazzi aren't too ruthless with me. As soon as I'm out of the public I think it should stop. [Once I've] gotten into a car or I'm on my property it's done. No more pictures... Privacy is important to me and I've seen pictures of me in my backyard that are taken from 300 [feet] away with a scope and everything! That's strange huh? I guess it's compliment that people care about what I do that much."
  • "I think it's evil for a man not to have personality, not to have a heart. Because the style or the money does not matter to me. It's heart alone that I care about".
  • "I have to shave! Okay? You don't have any monkeys on the runway of course. It's okay I´m joking! (laughs) I´m joking - monkeys (more laughs)"
  • "Actually when I was little I was afraid of cameras and having my picture taken. So in all the pictures of me when I am 5 or so I'm crying because, you know, I was afraid of the flash."
  • "Everyone always comes to me and asks, 'What are your plans?' And I always say: I don't have any plans because in life things happen when you do not expect them to happen. What has to happen will happen. I'm here and I'm living each day. I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, but I want to live what I have today, in the present. And whatever comes tomorrow, I'm totally open to accept everything."
  • "I guess I would like to be a child doctor. A pediatry...how do you call it, pediatrician? Do I like kids? No, not really. (laughs) No I'm joking! Of course I do! If anyone doesn't like children they should be smited down...just like, ZAP! (more laughs)"
  • "People ask me if he (Lenny Kravitz) was good in the bed. And I always say 'I don't know!'...Quite honestly I don't, and never have, cared."

[edit] Facts and stats

  • Height: 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
  • Measurements: 33-23-33 (US); 85-58-90 (EU)
  • Dress Size: 4 (US); 34 (EU)
  • Shoe Size: 9 (US); 41 (EU)
  • Eyes: Blue-Grey [2] (sometimes described as green)
  • Hair: Dark Brown
  • Ethnicity: African, Amerindian, Swiss.[6]
  • Lima has a cult like fan following called the "LimaHolic Mafia" Many compare these fans to Clay Aiken's Claymates
  • Nationality: Brazilian
  • Languages Spoken: Portuguese, English, Spanish
  • Religion: Roman Catholic.
  • Ranked #97 in Forbes.com's Highest Paid Celebrities list (2006)
  • Ranked #99 in Forbes.com's 100 Most Powerful People list (2006)
  • Ranked #57 in Maxim's Hot 100 (2003)
  • Ranked #1 in AskMen.com's Top 99 Women (2005) [3]
  • Ranked #4 in AskMen.com's Top 99 Women of 2006
  • She likes "simple people".
  • Spokesmodel of XOXO, Armani Jeans, GUESS? [4] and Victoria's Secret
  • Close friends and family call her "Leah" which is beleived to be a reference to her grandmother's name.
  • Her eyes tend to change colour from blue to grey to green.
  • She has a pierced navel.
  • She owns a female maltese poodle named Ivy.
  • She is said to be "the easiest person in the world to make laugh."
  • She owns a bar in Mexico.
  • Many of her dedicated fans desperatly want to see a picture of Lima's mother and father.
  • She is bookish : her favourite author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
  • She would like to pursue acting or photography.
  • Her best friend is Oluchi Onweagba.
  • She is afraid of tapeworms and flying.
  • She meditates every morning.
  • She does not like to travel.
  • She was romantically linked with Lenny Kravitz.
  • She claimed Lenny was just a friend on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
  • She wears a scapular around her neck.
  • She is trained in Capoeira and Mixed Martial Arts.
  • She is always listed as one of the top five models in the world.
  • She never leaves the house without sunglasses.
  • She is the favourite model of famed photographer Ellen von Unwerth who specializes in erotic feminity editorial photography.
  • When she is asked what colour her eyes are she says she doesn't know, though her mother says they are blue.

[edit] Notable work

[edit] Runway

[edit] Print

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Adriana Lima, biography by Maybelline, accessed August 28th, 2005
  2. ^ a b c Adriana Lima, biography by Ask Men, accessed August 28th, 2005
  3. ^ Top 99 Women, by Ask Men, accessed August 28th, 2005
  4. ^ Adriana Lima, biography by Guess Advertising, accessed August 28th, 2005

[edit] External links

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