Alessandra Ambrosio
Encyclopedia
Alessandra Corine Ambrósio (aleˈsɐ̃dɾɐ ɐ̃ˈbɾɔzju (born April 11, 1981) is a Brazilian model. Ambrosio is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret
and was chosen as the first spokesmodel for the company's "PINK" line. Ambrosio is currently one of the Victoria's Secret Angels and has modeled for brands such as Next
, Armani Exchange, Christian Dior
, and Ralph Lauren
.
Aside from modeling work, Ambrosio serves as an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
. Ambrosio was also selected by AskMen.com
as Number 2 out of the "Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008".
, Brazil on April 11, 1981. Her parents, who are of Italian and Polish Brazilian descent, own a petrol station. Ambrósio was just eight years old when she decided that she wanted to be a model, after seeing a picture of top covergirl Karen Mulder
in a magazine: "I wanted to be like her", she recalls. She enrolled at a modelling class at the age of 12 and at the age of 14 she was one of 20 finalists for an elite modelling competition in Brazil. Ambrosio was always insecure about her large ears and at eleven had cosmetic surgery to get her ears pinned back, though two years later she suffered complications. In 2006, she appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
, and said that the surgery was a bad experience and has discouraged her from ever getting plastic surgery again.
started her modeling career in earnest. Her first notable modeling job was the cover of Brazilian Elle
magazine. Elite passed along some of her Polaroids to Guess which led her booking the Millennium GUESS? campaign along with friend and fellow Brazilian Ana Beatriz Barros
. She has since appeared in advertisements for brands like Revlon
, Christian Dior
, Giorgio Armani
, and Ralph Lauren
, as well as the Pirelli Calendar
. She has walked the catwalks for designers such as Prada
, Chanel
, and Oscar de la Renta
. She has appeared in numerous international magazine covers, including Cosmopolitan
, Elle
, GQ
, Harper's Bazaar
, Marie Claire
, Ocean Drive
, Vogue
and the only model to appear on the cover of Glamour
in the United States in 2006.
In 2004, Ambrosio launched her line of swimwear called Alessandra Ambrosio by Sais, a division of Rosa Chá. It sold 10,000 units in only its first month on the market.
Ambrosio was the face for the UK company Next
and starred in their first television campaign in 12 years. She is also signed to Storm Model Management in London.
On the July, 2009 cover of Marie Claire
, Ambrosio appeared in a spread with Sacha Baron Cohen
to promote Baron Cohen's 2009 film Brüno
.
Ambrosio, became the face of Brazilian sportswear brand Colcci
costarring with Ashton Kutcher
in a steamy denim ad. She was ranked No. 5 on Forbes
' The World's Top-Earning Models list, with an estimated earnings of $5 million over the past 12 months (2010–2011).
In October 2011, Ambrosio became Vogue's blogger, commenting on her wardrobe by posting one photo of herself each day for a month.
along with Izabel Goulart
; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn; Late Night with Conan O’Brien;Germanys next topmodel; as guest judge on Project Runway season 2: Team Lingerie
and The Tyra Banks Show
, where she was a guest twice. She appeared alongside TV personality, Regis Philbin
in a worldwide commercial for Hummer H2
. In 2006, she had a cameo on the box-office hit movie, Casino Royale
appearing briefly as Tennis Girl #1.
Ambrosio guest-starred on How I Met Your Mother
(episode: "The Yips
") on November 26, 2007 with her fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima
, Selita Ebanks
, Marisa Miller
, Miranda Kerr
, and Heidi Klum
.
magazine's annual "100 Most Beautiful People in the World" in May 2007. Ambrosio is among the world's top-earning models.
, Brazil.
She is the National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
and was chosen as the first spokesmodel for the company's "PINK" line. Ambrosio is currently one of the Victoria's Secret Angels and has modeled for brands such as Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
, Armani Exchange, Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
, and Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
.
Aside from modeling work, Ambrosio serves as an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a United States-based non-profit organization, and its network of chapters nationwide promote research, educate, advocate on issues relating to multiple sclerosis, and organize a wide range of programs, including support for the newly diagnosed and those...
. Ambrosio was also selected by AskMen.com
AskMen.com
AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
as Number 2 out of the "Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008".
Early life
Ambrosio was born in ErechimErechim
Erechim is a Brazilian city located in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. A regional center in the northern portion of the state, it is the second most populous city in the region with 97,916 inhabitants, second only to the city of Passo Fundo...
, Brazil on April 11, 1981. Her parents, who are of Italian and Polish Brazilian descent, own a petrol station. Ambrósio was just eight years old when she decided that she wanted to be a model, after seeing a picture of top covergirl Karen Mulder
Karen Mulder
Karen Mulder is a Dutch former model and singer. During the 90s, she had a successful modeling career and was recognized as a world-class "supermodel" by various media...
in a magazine: "I wanted to be like her", she recalls. She enrolled at a modelling class at the age of 12 and at the age of 14 she was one of 20 finalists for an elite modelling competition in Brazil. Ambrosio was always insecure about her large ears and at eleven had cosmetic surgery to get her ears pinned back, though two years later she suffered complications. In 2006, she appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
, and said that the surgery was a bad experience and has discouraged her from ever getting plastic surgery again.
Modeling
When Ambrosio was 12 years old, she enrolled in modeling classes, then began modeling for Dilson Stein at age 15. Winning Brazil's Elite Model LookElite Model Look
Elite Model Look is a yearly fashion modeling event held by Elite Model Management, an international model management group. It is the premiere and most prestigious modeling contest used to discover and launch fashion models in the international fashion marketplace...
started her modeling career in earnest. Her first notable modeling job was the cover of Brazilian Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
magazine. Elite passed along some of her Polaroids to Guess which led her booking the Millennium GUESS? campaign along with friend and fellow Brazilian Ana Beatriz Barros
Ana Beatriz Barros
Ana Beatriz Barros is a Brazilian model known for her work with Guess?, bebe, Victoria's Secret, Chanel cosmetics, and Jennifer Lopez's JLO fashion line.-Early life and family:...
. She has since appeared in advertisements for brands like Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
, Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
, Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
, and Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, as well as the Pirelli Calendar
Pirelli Calendar
The Pirelli Calendar is a trade calendar published by the Pirelli company's UK subsidiary. It has become an annual publication that dates back to 1964....
. She has walked the catwalks for designers such as Prada
Prada
Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...
, Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, and Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta is one of the world's leading fashion designers. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1973.-Career:...
. She has appeared in numerous international magazine covers, including Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, GQ
GQ (magazine)
GQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...
, Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
, Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive (magazine)
Ocean Drive is a magazine that reports on fashion, society, entertainment and celebrities in Miami Beach, Florida, in the United States. The magazine has been referred to as "the Bible of South Beach" due to its coverage of nightlife and VIPs. Suzy Buckley is the Editor in Chief. The magazine's...
, Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and the only model to appear on the cover of Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
in the United States in 2006.
In 2004, Ambrosio launched her line of swimwear called Alessandra Ambrosio by Sais, a division of Rosa Chá. It sold 10,000 units in only its first month on the market.
Ambrosio was the face for the UK company Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
and starred in their first television campaign in 12 years. She is also signed to Storm Model Management in London.
On the July, 2009 cover of Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
, Ambrosio appeared in a spread with Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
to promote Baron Cohen's 2009 film Brüno
Brüno (film)
Brüno is a 2009 British mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and starring Sacha Baron Cohen, who produced, co-wrote, and starred as the gay Austrian fashion journalist Brüno...
.
Ambrosio, became the face of Brazilian sportswear brand Colcci
Colcci
Colcci is a Brazilian fashion company. Established in 1986 in Brazil, Colcci operates in 31 countries, with 1,650 label stores and 9 franchise stores. Colcci's only U.S. store is based in New Jersey, but the company has boutiques in Guatemala, Spain, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, United Kingdom,...
costarring with Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
in a steamy denim ad. She was ranked No. 5 on Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
' The World's Top-Earning Models list, with an estimated earnings of $5 million over the past 12 months (2010–2011).
In October 2011, Ambrosio became Vogue's blogger, commenting on her wardrobe by posting one photo of herself each day for a month.
Victoria's Secret
She appeared in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the first time in 2000. By 2004, she was selected as the first spokesmodel for the Victoria's Secret "PINK" line and signed an exclusive "Angel" contract with the brand, being introduced as one at the "Angels Across America" Tour. In 2005, she walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway wearing lingerie made entirely out of candy. In the 2008 edition of the Fashion Show, she walked the runway three months after giving birth to her first child. She was chosen to open the 2010 show. The 2011 show saw her wearing the heaviest wings (30lb) ever made for the show.Television & film appearances
Ambrosio has made several television appearances, notably a cameo as herself on HBO's EntourageEntourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
along with Izabel Goulart
Izabel Goulart
Maria Izabel Goulart Dourado , better known as Izabel Goulart, is a Brazilian model. She is best known as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels from 2005 to present and for her work with Armani Exchange.-Early life and career:...
; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn; Late Night with Conan O’Brien;Germanys next topmodel; as guest judge on Project Runway season 2: Team Lingerie
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
and The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
, where she was a guest twice. She appeared alongside TV personality, Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
in a worldwide commercial for Hummer H2
Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT that was marketed by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck , while longer, heavier , and taller with room for six passengers , seven passengers in some models. The rearmost part of the H2 SUV was modified to a pickup truck bed for the 2005 H2 SUT...
. In 2006, she had a cameo on the box-office hit movie, Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
appearing briefly as Tennis Girl #1.
Ambrosio guest-starred on How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
(episode: "The Yips
The yips
The yips can refer to:*Yips, an apparently baseless loss of ability to perform in various sports*"The Yips" , a 2007 episode of the situation comedy How I Met Your Mother...
") on November 26, 2007 with her fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima
Adriana Lima
Adriana Lima is a Brazilian model, best known as a Victoria's Secret Angel since 2000, and as a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics from 2003 to 2009...
, Selita Ebanks
Selita Ebanks
Selita Ebanks is a Caymanian fashion model. She worked for Victoria's Secret and as a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2005-2008.-Early life:...
, Marisa Miller
Marisa Miller
Marisa Lee Miller is an American model best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her work for lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret. After a stint shooting with photographer Mario Testino for fashion magazines like Vogue, Miller began working for both companies in...
, Miranda Kerr
Miranda Kerr
Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. She is best known as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels since mid-2007. She is the first Australian to participate in the Victoria's Secret campaign and also represents Australian fashion chain David Jones...
, and Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
.
Public media
Ambrosio's Angel status has brought her to the public's attention, and she is often cited by the popular media as one of the world's sexiest women. As an Angel, she was chosen as one of PeoplePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine's annual "100 Most Beautiful People in the World" in May 2007. Ambrosio is among the world's top-earning models.
Personal life
On August 24, 2008, Ambrosio and her fiancé, Californian businessman Jamie Mazur, had their first child, a daughter named Anja Louise Ambrosio Mazur, in FlorianopolisFlorianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
, Brazil.
She is the National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.