Adriana Lima in Victoria Secret's Bikini

Biography:

Adriana Francesca Lima was born on June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. At the tender age of 13, Adriana entered the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest, where her unique beauty, derived from her Native-Brazilian, African-Brazilian, Portuguese, French, and Caribbean heritage, won her second place. Moving to New York at age 16, Adriana joined the Elite Model Management and further pursued her modeling career, landing a campaign for the fashion designer Anna Molinari's clothing line. However, it was her appearance in several Guess? campaigns that gained her the recognition that catapulted her to her status as one of the world's top fashion models. Since then, she has appeared in campaigns for Anna Sui Jeans, Bebe, Gasoline, Mossimo, Victoria's Secret, BCBG, Keds, and XOXO, and has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Vogue and Marie Claire. She consistently appears in the hyped Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows, gaining recognition as one of the Victoria's Secret's Perfect 10. In her spare time, Adriana dedicates her services to help orphans in her native Brazil. She has appeared in the Italian TIM mobile Commercials.

Adriana Lima In Victoria Secret's Bikini

The line outside Victoria's Secret to get a glimpse of lingerie model Adriana Lima snaked out about a quarter of a mile.

The SoFla natives were getting restless.

''She's my favorite Angel, but this is pretty ridiculous,'' said Chino Martin, 20, from Sunrise. He came as a favor to cousin Jesus Loayza, 14, who needed a ride. They'd been there about an hour and still had to tangle through the masses inside.

If only the boys had bought the retailer's latest bra, the BioFit Uplift, they would have been granted access to the ''express lane.'' Those smarties had only an hourlong wait to meet the Brazilian beauty and get her autograph on an 8x10 glossy.

''I didn't know my mother's size, or I would have,'' said Martin of the $45 padded chest accessory.

In the store, the scene was no less chaotic. Amid the panty bins and baby-doll racks, a swarm of publicists, saleswomen and paparazzi jockeyed for elbow room.

Suddenly Lima -- dressed in a navy T-shirt and jeans -- emerged from a back room.

''I'm so flattered,'' Lima said, looking out at the crowd (an estimated 800 showed). ``I thank God every day. I am blessed.''

She's right about that. The 27-year-old Salvador Bahia native looks better in person -- about six feet tall with insanely blue eyes and a dazzling smile.

Too bad she's not single. The huge diamond ring she wore is from Serbian basketball player Marko Jaric, who popped the question a month ago.

''When I stop traveling all over the world I will plan the wedding,'' Lima said, laughing. ``I'm too busy right now!''

Understood.

Source: miamiherald.com
Posted on 15 Aug 2008



Adriana Lima poses for a new line of undergarments in Victoria Secret's catalog. It is lingerie for the "Supermodel Obsession” book. She is a Brazilian model known for her work with Victoria's Secret lingerie giant and Maybelline cosmetics. She is the world's fourth highest paid supermodel as of 2007.



We all know Maybelline New York spokesperson Adriana Lima is beautiful and sexy. But there's much more to this Brazillian-born stunner than meets the eye. Like - did you know that she's fluent in three languages-Spanish, Portuguese and English? That she gets her exotic good looks from her multi-cultural background - part French, Portuguese, Native American and Caribbean? That she's bookish? Or that she's deeply committed to her charitable work for "Caminos Da Luz," an orphanage in her hometown of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, raising awareness and money for the shelter. It's a very mature position for such a young woman. After all, It wasn't all that long ago that the raven-haired, blue-eyed beauty was an unknown teenager. Once she was discovered at a shopping mall at the age of 13, she was on the supermodel.



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. She earned $4.5 million in 2006 according to Forbes.She ranked 7th on FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2007 and was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007 along with fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Her middle name is Francesca.



Adriana finished in second place in the Ford 'Supermodel of the World' contest. As a child Adriana would play with orphaned children in her home town of San Salvador. Now that she is a successful model, she helps the orphanage to fund various projects and buys clothes for the children there. Adriana appeared in the book 'A second decade of Guess? Images'. Adriana appeared in the 2005 Pirelli Calendar.



She subsequently entered the 1996 Ford Supermodel of the World contest and finished second place. 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'. In 2001, Lima starred in BMW short film, The Follow alongside actors Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Forest Whitaker. The film was directed by Hong Kong film director and internationally renowned auteur Wong Kar-Wai.