By Olivia Hernandez ’26
“Fashion is about good energy. It’s about feelings. That’s what I have to give the people, good energy and good feelings.” – Adriana Lima
Adriana Lima was born June 12, 1981, in Salvador Bahia, Brazil. She came from a small, but very kind and humble family that consisted of just her mother, Maria das Gracås Lima. Her father since he left Adriana and her mother when Adriana was just about six months old. Even though she never had a steady father figure in her life, Adriana has stated on many occasions that she does not feel like she has ever lacked when it comes to family. She claims she will forever credit her success and livelihood to her mother.
Growing up, Adriana was fascinated with medicine. She loved to help others, and she even had dreams of becoming a pediatrician. She would have never thought that one day she would become one of the most legendary models of all time.
It may be hard to believe, but Adriana never had thoughts of becoming a model. Even though she was constantly complimented on her natural beauty, she saw herself as average and a woman with no modeling material to work with. As a matter of fact, Adriana detested being photographed as a child. She claimed that the attention was always too much for her to handle.
When she was fourteen years old, one of her friends convinced her to take part in Ford’s “Supermodel of Brazil” competition because she was too afraid to participate alone. To her surprise, Adrianna won first place and was even recommended by the judges to participate in the “Supermodel of the World” competition, in which she placed second. These wins paved the way for Adriana’s modeling career and served as a turning point in her life. Just three years later, Adriana turned eighteen and headed to New York City, where she would sign a contract with Elite Model Management and officially begin her career as a model.
In the spring of 1997, Adriana made her runway debut at Anna Sui’s New York Fashion Week show. She walked alongside some of the most iconic supermodels of all time, including Naomi Campbell and Alek Wek. Adriana went global only a few years later in 2003, becoming a spokesmodel for Maybelline Cosmetics. She starred in ad campaigns for print and television up until the moment her contract ended with the company in 2009.
Adriana fell in love with Maybelline in the time spent as their model. She even ended up reuniting with the brand in 2014 up until that contract ended in 2019. Maybelline described Adriana as an effective communicator and a major booster for their brand. When Adriana returned to the brand in 2014 for her second wind, Jerome Bruhat, president of Maybelline Cosmetics, stated, “We are honored to welcome back Adriana to our amazing roster of spokespeople.” She was respected as well as beloved at Maybelline, and she was given a very generous boost in her career while she was with the company. Soon after her successes with Maybelline, Adriana was bound for the worldwide icon of modeling, Victoria’s Secret.
Adriana Lima rose to her peak in 1999 when she walked in her first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Only a year later, she was promoted officially to the position of a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Throughout her career as an Angel, Adriana walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret a total of eighteen times. Her reign with Victoria’s Secret lasted from 1999 to 2018. Just before she left the industry, she was named “Most Valuable Angel.” Her spot on the runway was coveted by many, but only achievable by some. She was their longest-running model, and her loyalty was greatly missed after she left to pursue her own life.
Adriana thought she had given up her wings for good in 2018. She loved her modeling years, but she wanted to leave them in the past. She could have never guessed that she would be returning to Victoria’s Secret for a second time in 2024.
For six years, Adriana spent her time building a world for herself outside of modeling. She got married and had four beautiful children. The mark that Adriana put on the world and the modeling industry specifically was impactful and hard to ignore. She was still just as beloved as she was when she was an angel.
A part of this may have struck her as a sign to return to her roots, because a couple of months before the reboot of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Adriana announced that she would be walking the runway. This caused quite an uproar with her fans and got many people so much more excited for the long-awaited Victoria’s Secret return. The 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was one to remember. Adriana made sure of that. Everyone loved to see her back on the runway, arguably where her beauty belonged.
Over her modeling career, Adriana earned many accolades. In 2014, she was nominated for the “Model of The Year” award. In 2017 and 2019, she was nominated for the “Social Media Star of The Year” award. Adriana created a legacy for herself by being a Victoria’s Secret Angel, getting listed as one of Forbes’s top-earning models, starring in a Super Bowl commercial, and just using her modeling career, in general, to boost herself through life.
Every time Adriana steps on the runway, the pure joy and love plastered on her face is undeniable. Her sense of belonging is on any runway that recognizes her talent. She will be remembered for many years to come as a woman who brought life and love into an industry that isn’t always the kindest or best to be a part of. No matter where Adriana goes, no matter what life she continues to lead, she will in her heart, always be an angel.
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