Gisele Bundchen Has Literally Put Brazil on the Map

This Brazilian beauty is one of the most famous faces in the world, and she came from almost nothing to become a multi-millionaire mostly thanks to those looks. She was born Gisele Caroline Nonnenmacher Bündchen (but just Gisele is alright these days), in Tres de Maio, Brazil, and grew up in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She has five sisters, including a fraternal twin named Patricia. Gisele originally intended to become a volleyball player, and even considered playing for the Brazilian national team. However, she enrolled in a modeling class at the age of 13 along with her sisters Gabriela and Patricia.

A year later, Gisele was discovered in a shopping mall by a modeling agent. She went on to compete in multiple modeling contests until 1996, when she ultimately moved to New York City and made her Fashion Week debut. Her first magazine cover was in the July 1999 issue of Vogue, and she proceeded to grace the cover of Vogue two more times, equaling three consecutive covers. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Gisele has been on the covers of more magazines than I could even begin to mention (as of now the grand total is over 500 worldwide covers).

All of this success has led to one thing...money, money, and more money. At an estimated net worth of over $150 million, Gisele Bündchen is the world's highest paid model. Aside from modeling, Gisele has been featured in two films. She was Serena in The Devil Wears Prada, and she played one of the main characters (Vanessa) in the film Taxi which co-starred Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah. She's also become a staple on the television show TMZ due to her relationship with New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, as well as her previous relationships with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kelly Slater.

Thankfully though, it seems like all of the fame and fortune hasn't gotten to her head because here she is in NYC, hailing a cab just like the rest of us (although I'm sure she only had to wait for about a millisecond). The messenger bag she's carrying is the Besace by Yves Saint Laurent.

$1,995.00

Here we have the lovely couple out and about in Paris. Gisele looks très chic in a comfy beige sweater, gray skinny jeans, vintage leather boots, and a Christian Dior Gaucho tote.

$1,613.00

One of Gisele's best features in my opinion has got to be her facial bone structure. The Dolce & Gabbana shades she's wearing only highlight this fact.
$185.00

Half (actually most) of a supermodel's job is to look good in a pricey dress...and Gisele never disappoints. I'm pretty sure that jaws fell to the ground when everyone saw her in this body-hugging Versace gown at the 2008 Met's Costume Institute Gala.

...And here she is doing her thing at a Christian Dior couture runway show.

Madonna is a Fashion Pioneer for the Ages

She needs only one name... Madonna. Actually, it's Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie. She has as many names as she has things going on in her hectic schedule! She's a musician, dancer, record producer, writer, actress, and mother. Madonna was born in Detroit, but she relocated to New York City to become a ballet dancer. It was there where Madonna found her true passion of singing and dancing on stage. In 1983, she released her self-titled debut album, and the rest is history.

She went on to have three consecutive number one albums on the Billboard 100, and then to sell over 200 million albums worldwide. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) named her the Best Selling Female Rock Artist of the Twentieth Century, and Guiness World Records has her as the world’s most successful female recording artist of all time, with a net worth of over $400 million.

Although her musical career has brought her many accolades, I most remember her for single-handedly starting an entire fashion movement in the 80s. Phase I of the Madonna Movement involved wearing layers of bracelets, fishnet gloves, miniskirt over leggings, head bands, and bleach blonde hair with dark roots. Phase II is more commonly known as the Like a Virgin look, and it involved wearing huge crucifix jewelry, lace gloves, boy toy belts, tulle skirts, corsets worn as outerwear, and LOTS of makeup. You can still see traces of this look in today's fashion since head bands and leggings are back, but the intensity of the 80s fad has thankfully passed.

Phase I

Phase II

These days, Madonna is all over the news because of her rumored divorce from hubby Guy Ritchie. Oh well, they had a nice run. They have a son together, Rocco, Madonna adopted second son Mwale from Malawi, and Madonna already had daughter Lourdes from a previous relationship with trainer Carlos Leon. Check out this photo of Madonna with her three kids.

Madonna recently teamed up with the retail store H&M to create a line of clothing aptly named M by Madonna. Below is a sample of some handbags from the collection, which are reasonably priced at less than $200.00.Here she is sporting a chic pair of Christian Dior sunglasses.

$350.00

...And she looked absolutely flawless at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscars After Party in a sleek and elegant black gown.

RIP Yves Sait Laurent

Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent, aka Yves Saint Laurent was a French fashion designer who I personally consider to be one of the greatest visionaries in high fashion. I use past tense because he just recently passed away on June 1, 2008 from brain cancer. Yves Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, where he acquired a fashion sense from his mother and friends. He first studied at the Chambre Syndicale, and then he went to work for French designer Christian Dior at the age of 17.

When Saint Laurent was only 21 years old however, Christian Dior passed away and left Saint Laurent in charge of saving the House of Dior from going bankrupt. It wasn't until 1962 when he was finally released from Christian Dior, and he and his lover (Pierre Bergé) began their very own fashion house. During the 60s and 70s, the couple brought many fashion trends into the mainstream, including safari jackets, the beatnik look, thigh-high boots, tight pants, and women's tuxedos. Saint Laurent was the first to popularize the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 20s, 30s, and 40s (which we still do today). He also introduced ready-to-wear clothing lines, with Rive Gauche. But above all, Yves Saint Laurent was the very first to employ black models in his runway shows.

In 1999, Gucci bought the Saint-Laurent brand, and designer Tom Ford was asked to design the ready-to-wear collection, while Yves Saint Laurent designed the haute couture line himself. After Ford left in 2004, Stefano Pilati was left to design the prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) line.

As I've already mentioned, YSL is one of my absolute favorite designers, and I get inspired everytime I look at one of his pieces. Let's start with the YSL Tribute shoe and handbag. Here are Halle Berry and Drew Barrymore, sporting black patent leather Tribute bags. I'm not gonna lie, I paid more attention to the bag than who was carrying it. That's how spectacular it is.

$1,395.00

...And then there's the YSL Tribute shoe. I almost shed a tear when I first saw these because they're that gorgeous. Jessica Alba, Paula Abdul, UK singer Jamelia, and Victoria Beckham seem to agree with me.

$660.00

Here is an image from the Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2008 New York City runway show by designer Stefano Pilati.

And this is an image from the YSL Spring/Summer 2004 Rive Gauche collection. This would be Tom Ford's final spring/summer show for Yves Saint Laurent.

Although the House of Yves Saint Laurent is no more, the label still lives on thanks to celebrities and red carpet events where the designer's brilliant work will eternally be showcased. Check out two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank in a stunning white YSL dress at the P.S. I Love You premiere. And who could forget Nicole Kidman in the flapper-style YSL dress at the 2004 Golden Globes?

Mischa Barton + Marissa Cooper = HAUTE

It goes without saying that Mischa Barton is most famous for playing the rebellious Marissa Cooper on Fox's The O.C. However, her interesting fashion taste is perhaps what's kept her on magazine covers after the tragic cancellation of The O.C. Mischa Anne Marsden Barton was born in London, but she moved to New York City when she was four. She essentially had an actor's upbringing because she primarily attended performing arts schools such as the Professional Children's School in Manhattan and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and began acting at nine years old.

Mischa has clearly been a talent from a very young age. I remember her performance in The Sixth Sense, which was my favorite Barton performance (aside from her role in The O.C., of course). Although technically she's an actress, I consider her to be one of my fashion icons...on and off-screen. As Marissa Cooper, she drifted toward more trendy and refined looks. In real life, her personal style is edgier and more rock & roll-inspired.

Here is an example of the Marissa Cooper signature elegance. She's wearing a white pearl Chanel necklace with a matching white clutch and top.

$574.00

Compare that to the real Mischa seen below. Notice the stark difference between light, airy, So-Cal Marissa, and the dark, grungy, mysterious Mischa. Here she dons a John Lennon tee, high-waisted darkwash jeans, bright red lips, and not one, but TWO chic designer bags. The black one is the Louis Vuitton Rivets bag, and the larger one is the Louis Vuitton monogram Sac Chien doggie bag.

$1,830.00

Here is Mischa again, but this time she's wearing lighter daytime looks, and rocking the awesome Chanel Charm flap bag in all three looks.

$265.00

Even when she has to get glammed up for a red carpet event, Mischa still sticks to her trendsetter mentality. Here she is at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival in a white haute couture Christian Dior gown, highlighted by crimson red lips and old hollywood style eye makeup.