Adriana Lima, the Brazilian model who is the latest rage on the ramp scene was born in 1982 in Salvador, Brazil. Her exotic good looks are derived from her French, Portuguese, Native-American and Caribbean descent.
She gained fame when she won the 1996 Ford Supermodel of Brazil Contest and after which she participated in the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest in which she was ranked second. Adriana signed with Elite Model Management at the age of 16, and moved to New York to make her mark on the fashion scene. Once there, her modeling portfolio began to grow by leaps and bounds, and she featured in Vogue (Italy) in 1997, as well as Vogue (UK), I-D (UK), Marie Claire (Brazil), and Vogue (Italy) in 1998. Adriana has also appeared in Vogue (US, Germany, UK), and Marie Claire (Italy) all in 1999.
But one of Adriana's most memorable catwalk appearances was in the Victoria's Secret Summer 2000 Swimwear Catalogue (shot in Cannes), where she shared the spotlight with supermodels of the kind such as Heidi Klum and Laetitia Casta.
Before Adriana hit into the modeling world, she nursed a desire to help Brazilian children, and due to her fame she is now able to do useful work for the orphans in Brazil. One thing is for sure whatever Adriana may do; whether selling items in an ad, dazzling the ramp, or being photographed by some of the world's greatest photographers -- such as Steven Meisel, Peter Lindbergh or Ellen von Unwerth -- her beauty strikes deeper chords and makes heads turn.
