Let’s face it. Supermodels are quite the rare species. They get to dress up in the most coveted designs, have their names at the top of all the hottest guest lists, travel to the most exotic destinations, and must we mention their intrinsic flawlessness? From the catwalk to casual lunches, the supers make it look all too easy to be the ‘one in a million’ types of girls. Well, one in 50 million, as Ed Razek, chief marketing officer of Limited Brands, would have it.
“In the entire history of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 140 separate women have walked that runway,” Razek said. “There are seven billion people on the planet. That makes each of them not one in a million, not one in five million, not one in ten million. That literally makes them one in 50 million humans.”
As powerful as these recent supers may be, it’s the world’s most elite models that are cashing in big time on their extraordinary talents, and no one more so than reigning queen Gisele Bündchen. According to Forbes’ rankings of the world’s highest paid models, Gisele has clung to the list’s number one spot for the second year in a row with a total of $45 million in earnings. While many associate the Brazilian bombshell with her NFL hubby Tom Brady, Gisele has done quite well for herself reaching worldwide acclaim through high-profile campaigns, spokesperson deals, and independent licensing ventures, making her a true household name. In her native Brazil especially, the model has acquired quite a few pretty pennies lending her image to brands like Pantene, Esprit, and Versace.
Not far behind is yet another international beauty, Kate Moss, who earned a reported $9.2 million. Fashion’s rock n’ roll Brit has been a muse to countless designers since the early 90’s, and since then has taken on some big endorsement deals including Longchamp, Mango, Rimmel, and Vogue Eyewear.
While Russian-born model Natalia Vodianova isn’t exactly a house-hold name yet, that didn’t stop her from landing the #3 spot on Forbes’ list. Her $8.6 million was reportedly earned through her major fragrance campaign with Guerlain and Calvin Klein Euphoria. The 30-year-old has also been designing lingerie collections for Etam and shoes for Centro, which have helped place her among the creme de la creme of the modeling world.
And, just who exactly are the other lucky ladies to round out this list of world dominating models? Doutzen Kroes came in at #5, followed by Victoria’s Secret Angels Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima. Angel Candice Swanepoel nabbed the #10 spot, making her the youngest supermodel to make the list, and thus, the most envied 23-year-old in our book.
