Adriana Lima

About Adriana Lima

Adriana Lima (born June 12 1981) is a Brazilian supermodel perhaps best known for her high-profile work with Victoria's Secret lingerie giant and Maybelline cosmetics. Lima was discovered at age 15 when she entered and finished first in Brazil's Ford Supermodel of the World competition, finishing second the following year before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City.

Adriana Francesca Lima, of African, Native South American and Swiss descent, was born in the northeastern coastal town of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on June 12, 1981. Her father, of which she was estranged for most of her life is Nelson Torres and her mother, Maria da Graça Lima, was a social worker who gave birth to Lima at the age of 18. Lima revealed that her father had walked out on her family when she was six years old, but has been making recent attempts to reconcile.. In late 2007, Lima revealed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that she has two half brothers, aged 7 and 11, from her father's second marriage.

Adriana never thought about being a model; she had a friend at school who wanted to enter a modeling contest and didn't want to enter alone, so Adriana entered with her. Both sent in pictures and they soon asked Adriana to come out for the contest.[10] Soon after at the age of 15, she entered and finished in first place in Brazil's Ford Supermodel of the World Search. She subsequently entered the 1996 Ford Supermodel of the World contest and finished in second place.[11] Three years later, she moved to New York City, and signed with Elite Model Management. Lima’s modeling portfolio began to expand exponentially, appearing in numerous international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire. As for fashion shows, she has walked the catwalks for big-name designers such as Vera Wang, Christian Lacroix, Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Ralph Lauren, Valentino, among others. Lima then became a GUESS? girl appearing on GUESS?' Fall 2000 ad campaign. She also appeared in the book 'A second decade of Guess? Images.'[12]