Adriana Lima
Adriana Lima[5] (Portuguese pronunciation: [adɾiˈãnɐ ˈlimɐ]; born 12 June 1981) is a Brazilian model. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel[6] from 1999 to 2018.[7] She was the longest-running model and named "the most valuable Victoria's Secret Angel" in 2017. She is also known as a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics since 2003, and for her Super Bowl and Kia Motors commercials. At age 15, Lima won Ford Models' "Supermodel of Brazil" competition, and took second place the following year in the Ford "Supermodel of the World" competition before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City.
Adriana Lima
12 June 1981
Model
1997–present
Andre Lemmers (2021–present)
3
- Creative Artists Agency (New York, Los Angeles)[3]
- Elite Model Management (Paris, London, Milan)[4]
Lima is currently ranked by models.com as one of the "New Supers".[8] Since 2014, Lima has been the world's second highest-paid model. In 2012, she came in 4th place on the Forbes top-earning models list, estimated to have earned $7.3 million in one year. In 2013, she came in 3rd place and in 2014 she came in 2nd place with earnings of $8 million. In 2015, she came in 2nd place with earnings of $9 million.[9] In 2016, she kept the second place with earnings of US$10.5 million.[10]
Lima has served as brand ambassador for the clothing brand Desigual based in Barcelona, Spain, for the Beachwear collection of Italian brand Calzedonia, and for the ready-to-wear collection of Italian brand Sportmax. She is currently an ambassador for International Watch Company (IWC), Puma, Maybelline, and Chopard.
Early life
Lima was born on 12 June 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.[11] Many sources stated that "Francesca" is her middle name, but Lima herself denied this in an interview to W Radio Colombia in 2010, and confirmed that her name is only Adriana Lima.[5] Her parents are Nelson Torres, a carpenter,[12] and Maria das Graças Lima, a social worker.[13] Her father left the family when she was six months old, and Lima was raised only by her mother.[13][14] Lima was raised in the Castelo Branco neighbourhood of Salvador. She has stated that prior to starting modelling, she had wanted to pursue a career as a paediatrician.[15]
Lima is of Portuguese, Native Brazilian, African, Japanese, Swiss, and West Indian descent.[note 1][16][14][17] She personally identifies as Afro-Brazilian.[16]
Lima speaks four languages: her native Portuguese, English, Italian, and Spanish.[18]
Public image
Lima was listed in the 2005 Forbes' edition of The World's Best-Paid Celebrities Under 25.[120] She ranked ninety-nine in the 2005 and 2006 Forbes' edition of The Celebrity 100 lists.[121] In 2012, she was listed on Forbes Celebrity 100 power list for earning more than 7 million between May 2011 and May 2012.[122] In 2012, she ranked number eight on Forbes' "The World's Most Powerful Latino Celebrities" list for earning more than 7 million dollars.[123]
Lima was chosen to be a part of People magazine's 100 most beautiful people in the world list, sharing that space with the Angels, with whom she also received a star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" prior to the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.[124] That same year, she ranked 7th on FHMs "100 Sexiest Women 2007" list.[125]
Lima was also voted on Maxim's "Hot 100" 2007 at the No. 53 spot. She was voted No.1 as the Most Desirable Woman in 2005 by visitors of the men's lifestyle website AskMen.com and placed 4th in 2006 and 2007, 10th in 2008, and 19th in 2009.[126][127] She received the award for "Hottest Girl on the Planet" in the 2007 Spike Guys' Choice Awards.[128] Since November 2008, Models.com has featured her at number one on the list of the "Sexiest Models".[129] In July 2011, she was ranked No. 4 in the website's "Money Girls" list.[130] The website also lists her on "the Supers" list. The list, which has only 8 supermodels, is about supermodels that transcend the boundaries of the fashion industry and have public recognition in and out of fashion.[131] In 2010, she was voted eighth in "FHM's Sexiest Women in the World".[132] FHM ranked her at No. 6 in 2009, No. 21 in 2008 and No. 4 in 2007.[133]
In 2010, Lima was ranked No. 46 on the 50 most popular women on the Web according to Google search results.[134] A results from a market research study in 2011 about the UEFA Champions League released by Heineken, showed that 52% of men would rather watch their team lift the Champions League trophy than go on a date with Lima.[135] McAfee ranked Lima as the 6th most "dangerous" celebrity in cyberspace in 2010. The ranking, relating to the use of the names of popular celebrities to lure people to websites that are laden with malicious software, ranked Lima number eight in 2011.[136] In 2012, Complex ranked her 4th in the list of "The 100 Hottest Supermodels of All Time".[137]
In a 2011 interview with The Daily Telegraph, prior to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Lima said that for nine days before the show she drinks only protein shakes, and no liquids at all for the last 12 hours "so you dry out, sometimes you can lose up to eight pounds just from that." She also stated that for the last three weeks before the show, she works out twice a day.[138] The interview prompted criticism from the media commentators.[139] Shortly afterwards, Lima defended herself in an interview with E!. "I know it's very intense but ... I just have an athlete's mind and I appreciate doing this thing," she said. "It's not that I do crazy diets throughout the year. I just do it for this particular thing. After this show, I become normal again."[140] The Adriana Lima diet became one of the top five most searched diets on the web in 2012.[141]
On 6 October 2015, it was announced that Adriana will have her own wax figure at the Madame Tussauds New York. She is the first Victoria's Secret Angel and the second Brazilian figure to join the Tussauds star lineup, after soccer star Pelé.[142] Her wax figure was unveiled on 30 November 2015.[143]
In March 2019, she was chosen as the Fashion Icon honoree at the Daily Front Row Awards.[144]
In 2021, Lima was chosen by HOLA! USA as one of the "Changemakers" of their "Latina Powerhouse Top 100" list.[145]
