Supermodel Gisele retires from catwalk
SAO PAULO — Gisele Bundchen bid adieu to the catwalk Wednesday night, strutting her stuff at an emotionally charged show in Sao Paulo that she said will be her last stroll down a runway in a 20-year career that has made her a fashion legend.
The 34-year-old Brazilian mother of two, who is married to NFL quarterback Tom Brady, has said she wants to spend more time with her family but has also vowed to continue working in the industry.
Brady was on hand for Bundchen’s final appearance, competing with his wife for the cameras’ attention as he took in the spectacle from the first row.
As the world’s highest-paid model, according to a 2014 ranking by Forbes magazine, Bundchen is the face of Chanel, Carolina Herrera, Pantene and other top brands. She also designs her own line of flip flops and lingerie.
A household name the world over, Bundchen rivals soccer legend Pele for the status of Brazil’s most internationally famous citizen, and her meteoric rise from a middle-class family in a small, rural town to superstar is the stuff of modeling legend.
Her romantic life was regularly splashed across gossip magazines, as she was romantically linked to a series of A-listers, from surfer Kelly Slater to actor Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2009, she married New England Patriots quarterback Brady. The couple has two children.
Last year, she out-earned Brady, netting an estimated $47 million on contracts, according to Forbes.
