Why Adriana Lima Is the Greatest Angel of All Time

By: Beverly Abellanosa

When it comes to iconic figures in the world of fashion, few names stand as tall as Adriana Lima. With her stunning beauty, undeniable charisma, and remarkable work ethic, Lima has cemented her place as one of the greatest Victoria’s Secret Angels of all time.

From her early days on the runway to her lasting impact on the fashion industry, let’s explore why Adriana Lima is undeniably the greatest Angel of all time.

Childhood and Early Career

Adriana Lima was born on June 12, 1981, to her parents Nelson Torres and Maria das Graças Lima in Salvador, Brazil. Her mother was a social worker who raised Lima alone after her father left the family when she was six years old. 

Initially, the future Victoria’s Secret Angel never planned to be a model despite having won various beauty pageants in elementary school. However, when she was fifteen years old, a friend from school wanted to enter a modeling contest but did not want to enter alone, so Lima entered the contest as well.

After sending in pictures, Lima was asked to participate in the competition, where she won Ford’s Supermodel of Brazil model search and second place in the 1996 Ford Models Supermodel of the World contest. These accomplishments would serve as the catalyst for her groundbreaking career. 

Moving to New York to Grow Her Career

Shortly after placing second in the Ford Models Supermodel of the World contest, Lima moved to New York City and signed with Elite Model Management. It was only a matter of time before her portfolio expanded exponentially after appearing in international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire.

After only two years in New York, Lima landed her first magazine cover for Marie Claire Brazil’s September 1998 Issue and her first Vogue cover for the September 2000 Issue of Italian Vogue.

Nevertheless, what makes Adriana Lima one of the greatest models of all time is her versatility. Not only does she excel in editorials, but the Brazilian Bombshell is known for her runway success as well.

Lima has walked for renowned brands such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, John Galliano, Valentino, and more. 

Becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel

Lima’s meteoric rise to fame began when she walked for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 1999 at the age of 18 and was later contracted as an angel in 2000.

Since then, she has walked in every show (except the 2009 show which she missed due to her pregnancy) and has opened the show a record-breaking five times, the fifth time being the most remarkable as she opened the show two months after giving birth to her second child.

 In 2008, her solo Super Bowl commercial for Victoria’s Secret garnered 103.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched commercial of the game. Later in the year, Lima wore the “Fantasy Bra” for her eighth appearance on the Victoria’s Secret runway.

The bra was created by American jewelry designer Martin Katz and valued at over $5 million USD. She would later go on to wear the Fantasy Bra two more times in 2010 and 2014 each being valued at $2 million USD.

In 2017, Lima was declared “the most valuable Victoria’s Secret Angel” according to D’Marie, an analytics company that conducted research factoring in social media likes, followers, sales conversions, and engagement. 

Hanging Up Her Wings & Enduring Success

While Lima’s final Victoria’s Secret runway in 2018 symbolized an end of an era, she continues to break modeling records. She ranked at the top of the Forbes Highest Paid Models list for the past thirteen years. Lima’s magazine covers are known to sell out at record numbers and generate unprecedented website traffic.

Furthermore, she has received a multitude of endorsements from companies like Donna Karan, Desigual, Maybelline, Marc Jacobs, and even Doritos. With a net worth valued at $75 million and a seasoned career, Adriana Lima has cemented herself in fashion history as one of the greatest models in the world and the greatest angel of all time.