Before Gisele Bündchen became one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, she was a lanky, volleyball-loving teenager from an agricultural town in southern Brazil. All she wanted was to get out of town for the weekend.
That outing would eventually redefine what beauty looked like in the late 1990s. Her full name is Gisele Caroline Bündchen, and she was born on July 20, 1980, in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul.
She grew up with five sisters (including a twin) in a working-class family. Her father was a university teacher, and her mother was a bank clerk.
Although Bündchen excelled in both academics and athletics, she initially aspired to be a professional volleyball player. She did sign up for a local modelling course, though, and it promised participants a trip to São Paulo when she was just 13.
New : Gisele Bündchen Gisele at Vivara event in Sao Paulo pic.twitter.com/bePXEeSjfk
— Victoria’s Secret Actu (@vsactu) December 22, 2025
That São Paulo trip happened in 1994. That’s when Bündchen stopped at a McDonald’s with dozens of other girls from the course. They all wore the same black outfits and had their mothers accompanying them. According to later accounts, a modeling agent from Elite Model Management noticed her right there.
At the time, Bündchen reportedly told her mother she didn’t want to be a model, and her parents were skeptical, too. It took a few months for Bündchen to enter her first modeling contest. Even then, she was wearing a volleyball outfit to walk the runway. She was then selected as one of five finalists and soon moved to São Paulo to work as a full-time model.
Sadly, Gisele Bündchen was only 14 when casting agents told her she wasn’t pretty enough, The List reported. Her nose was “too big.” Her eyes were “too small.” Most of the work she did get was overseas catalogue modeling, particularly in Japan. Then she came to New York City in 1996 to pursue an international career. Yet, she barely spoke English and said yes to everything.
Soon, designers noticed Bündchen on the runway, though photographers hesitated to book her. So in 1997, she auditioned for shows in London and a spot in Alexander McQueen’s runway presentation. Then came Milan, followed by Paris.
Gisele Bündchen for Armani, SS 1997 pic.twitter.com/aO6WttRnNB
— Gia (@virgoessence) February 6, 2024
In 1999, Bündchen appeared on the July cover of American Vogue, which was titled “Return of the S— Model.” She ended the ultra-thin aesthetic that dominated the decade with a healthier, more athletic look.
That same year, she was named Model of the Year by Vogue and VH1. In 2000, she signed with Victoria’s Secret, and the rest is history.
