Allessandra Ambrosio Biography

Alessandra AmbrosioBrazilian beauty Alessandra Ambrosio was born on April 11, 1981, in Erexim, Brazil, of Brazilian, Polish, and Italian descent. As a child, Ambrosio felt self-conscious about her appearance, and at eleven years old, she underwent surgery to have her prominent ears pinned back.By the time she was in her teens, however, Ambrosio had blossomed into a young beauty with modeling potential, and enrolled in a modeling class. She then entered the Elite modeling agency's 1996 Look of the Year contest. Although she didn t take home the prize, Ambrosio was noticed by the agency, which soon gave her a contract.Ambrosio's first modeling assignment was posing for the cover of the Brazilian Elle magazine. Soon after, Guess? company came calling and offered Ambrosio a contract for their fall 2000 campaign. Contracts with Revlon, Calvin Klein eyewear, Giorgio Armani, and Victoria's Secret followed, and Ambrosio hit the Victoria's Secret runway for the first time in 2000, later selected to be the company's first spokesmodel for Victoria's Secret's Pink line.Ambrosio's runway career continued with fashion shows for designers such as Laura Biagiotti, Christian Lacroix, Byblos, Fendi, Issey Miyake, Kenzo, Christian Dior, Nicole Miller, and Oscar de la Renta. She has also appeared on several magazine covers, such as as Capricho, Desfile, Elle (Brazil), Wallpaper, and Harper's Bazaar (Spanish).In 2005, Ambrosio appeared on an episode of The Tyra Banks Show, and discussed the surgery she had as a child on her ears. Ambrosio claimed the procedure was a negative experience, which has dissuaded her from going under the knife again. That same year, Ambrosio appeared at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show wearing a bra and panty set made entirely out of candy.On the small screen, Ambrosio has appeared on the MTV show Slater Celebrity Surfer Invitational recently; as well as Bravo's Project Runway, hosted by fellow model Heidi Klum, as a guest judge. She also landed a small role on the silver screen in the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale, playing a tennis player who enjoys some intimate eye contact with Bond.With her modeling career on the rise alongside her Brazilian contemporaries, Gisele B ndchen and Adriana Lima, Alessandra aspires to pursue a university degree. She is currently in a relationship with club promoter, Jayson Lee, her boyfriend of over two years. She has also been linked to magazine editor, Steve Allain; and dated fellow Brazilian model Marcelo Boldrini for five years.When she's not modeling, Ambrosio enjoys surfing, roller skating, spending time on the beach, and listening to rapper Jay-Z as well as Brazilian music. She currently divides her time between her New York apartment and a house she is building in her native Brazil.