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Brazilian model and Victoria’s Secret Angel Lais Ribeiro has walked the catwalk for the likes of Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, but the stunning beauty’s rise to international fame has been anything but typical.

• The 24-year-old was named one of the ten new Victoria’s Secret Angels in April
• She grew up in a remote area of Brazil and barely spoke English when she started her career as an 18-year-old mother of one
• Lais has walked the runway for the likes of Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs in addition to posing for international fashion magazines

The 24-year-old was one of ten models to earn their ‘wings’ and be named as one of Victoria’s Secret’s new Angels, but Lais, who has a seven-year-old son named Alexandre, was born a world away from the bright lights of the fashion industry, in Teresina, Piauí, and grew up in a remote rural town in Brazil – never considering becoming a model until she was an 18-year-old mother of one.

Images from Lais’ personal photo collection, which include snapshots before her fame, document how she went from a fresh-faced tomboy and a teenage mother to one of the most sought-after models in the world.

While it seems nearly impossible to not immediately notice Lais, who is 5’11” and gorgeous in every way, the star was not spotted and recruited by an agency as a teen like most models.

First rejection: Lais, who is pictured at her first modeling agency, Milayne, was once told that she wasn’t curvy enough to appear in local fashion shows

Lais’ childhood friend Iara Melo says that she recalled thinking that her friend would be a natural on the runway. However, the brunette shied away from the suggestion until she was in search of a new job.

And when Lais finally got involved with the industry her first few jobs were a far cry from the glamor of the catwalk; the agent who discovered her said Lais was actually rejected by local fashion shows because she wasn’t curvy enough. Instead, they had her handing out flyers.

When she finally got her big break thanks to a national competition, Lais had to make the difficult decision between either starting her illustrious fashion career or staying with her close-knit family in Brazil.

Lais, who barely spoke a word of English at the time, chose to fight for a better future for her and her family by moving to New York and embarking on what would soon prove to be an incredibly successful international career.

The model made her runway debut at Rag and Bone’s Fall 2010 show during New York Fashion Week before strutting down the catwalk at Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace in Milan.

Ironically, during her first season on the runway, Lais was praised for being ‘curvaceous’, with New York Magazine noting in 2010 that her “athletic build is a much-welcome change to her (still) emaciated Eastern European counterparts”.

Lais also walked in the 2010 and 2011 Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. And while she was scheduled to appear in the 2012 show, she became the first Victoria’s Secret model to be announced for a show and fail to appear. It was later revealed that she had sprained her ankle. Lais was back on the brand’s runway the following year.

This year, Lais has joined Kate Grigorieva, Taylor Hill, Elsa Hosk, Martha Hunt, Jac Jagaciak, Stella Maxwell, Sara Sampaio, Romee Strijd, and Jasmine Tookes as the brand’s newest class of Angels.

And after the exciting news was announced in April, the Brazilian catwalker gushed about how the brand helped foster her career.

VS has supported me from the beginning. They have instilled confidence, hope, and a strong business sense,’ she told Us Weekly. ‘When you work this closely with a brand you get a chance to understand a completely different side of the business; it’s inspired me to look at my opportunity differently.”

Not surprisingly, Lais named fellow Brazilians Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen as her favorite Angels, although Gisele parted ways with the brand in 2007.

It truly is a dream come true!” she said of becoming an Angel.

However, despite her massive success, which includes a fan tattooing her face on his arm, Lais, who is dating professional basketball player Jared Homan, is still down to earth – even taking the bus when she is visiting her hometown.

And while she loves to stay active with boxing, volleyball, soccer, and salsa dancing, she also credited her son for helping to maintain her flawless physique.

‘I am constantly changing my exercise routines. It can be anything from boxing to yoga,’ Lais explained. ‘But I also have a seven-year-old son, and keeping up with him is a workout.’

In addition to her success on the runway and work with Victoria’s Secret, Lais has appeared in numerous ad campaigns for famous designers and retail giants such as Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Gap and American Eagle.

She has also posed for international editions of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and recently scoring the June 2015 cover of Elle Italy.

[Daily Mail]

 

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