Isabeli is the youngest model to appear in a Victoria's Secret catalog. The publicity launched her career, with Versace and Valentino contracts rolling in. She has posed in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition and fronted campaigns for Hermes.
Residence: New York, NY, US
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Height: 5'9.5"
Eye Color: Blue
Date of Birth: July 4, 1983
Agency:
Women Model Management
Campaigns:
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Like Gisele, Adriana, and Alessandra, Isabeli Fontana is yet another stunner hailing from Brazil. Born in Curitiba on July 4, 1983, this brown-haired, blue-eyed beauty made it to the finals of the Brazilian Elite Model Look contest at a mere 13 years old. In 1997 she moved to Milan to pursue her modeling career.
Isabeli debuted on the runway for Givenchy, Michael Kors, and Versace. At 16, she made waves as the youngest model to appear in a Victoria's Secret catalog, and the ensuing publicity quickly launched her career with Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Valentino contracts rolling in.
High-profile magazines came next: Isabeli graced the cover of Harper's Bazaar in June 2000, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition in 2002, and the cover of Vogue Paris in March 2002. In 2003, Isabeli took on both couture and Victoria's Secret, walking in Paris for Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier in the summer and the Victoria’s Secret runway in the fall. She continues to be a regular in the lingerie giant's catalog and on its catwalk.
After a short break from modeling when her son Zion was born, Isabeli returned as the face of Hermès, working with famed photographer Richard Avedon, and posed for Balenciaga in a campaign shot by David Sims. In September 2004, Vogue named her one of the world's next top supermodels, and Steven Meisel captured her for the cover. Over the next few years, Isabeli walked in shows for Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Balenciaga, Chloé, Hermès, Valentino, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, and more. And, staying true to her roots, she continued to appear on numerous Vogue Brasil and Elle Brasil covers.
Isabeli has also landed a handful of fragrance contracts over the years, including Versace's Crystal Noir, Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, and Revlon's Flair.
In her personal life, the two-time divorcée (from Alvaro Jacomossi and Henri Castelli) shuttles back and forth between her homes in New York and Brazil with her two sons, Zion and Lucas, as well as her mother or grandmother, one of whom typically travels with her. Isabeli wants her sons to understand their culture and feels it is important to raise them in Brazil.
As a testament to her meteoric career, Isabeli debuted on Forbes's Top-Earning Models list of 2008, at the young age of 25.
