Daniela Peštová: Czech Late Bloomer

Daniela Pestova.

There aren't a lot of models who you can identify from either their first or their last name. Daniela Peštová is one such lady. If you talk to anyone in the fashion industry with any sense of history and mention that Daniela will be at a party, or that Pestova is going to be on the cover of Elle, they should know right off the bat who you are talking about. Let's learn a little bit about this legend.

1999 Christmas catalog, featuring Daniela Pestova and Heidi Klum.

Daniela was born in Teplice, Czechoslovakia (it is now the Czech Republic) on 14 October 1970. The story goes that Daniela wasn't thinking about modeling. In fact, she was a mail carrier of all things. Then, Dominique Caffin of the Madison agency spotted her at a theater. The story is a bit more unusual than that, because Daniela was already 19 years old at the time - most models, especially European ones, already are veterans by then. Some claim that she did do some local modelling beginning at age 17, so maybe she wasn't really 19 during her first gigs - but she was still "discovered" older than most girls who become superstars. Despite her late start, Daniela quickly made up for lost time.

Daniela at the Prada Spring 1992 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show.

Just getting spotted isn't always enough; usually, a model then has to prove herself worthy. The typical way to do that is to enter a modeling contest. So, Daniela entered such a a competition, and won. See how easy it can be? Then, she signed with Madison.

By 1991, Daniela was walking for Revlon. She got her first major cover, for Vogue Germany, in January of that year, and also one for Cosmopolitan.

Vogue Australia, November 1995.

Everybody loved Daniela, but she still wasn't breaking out into the truly big time. To capitalize on her Cosmo cover, the following year, 1992, she moved to New York City. It proved to be a charm for Daniela.

“Daniela At Ease,” Glamour US, March 1996. Photographer: Andre Carrara.

Daniela charmed everyone in New York, too. She married Tommaso Buti, then the CEO of Fashion Café, and they had a son, Yannick Fausto, the following year.

Around that time, Daniela began her long run with Sports Illustrated. She was in the Swimsuit Issue in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006. And, probably some other years, but when you get to double figures, who's really counting any more? She was on the cover in her very first year, 1995, too - that's considered special.

Christian Dior, 1991.

Daniela was in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

Angie Everhart, Naomi Campbell and Daniela Pestova.

When Sports Illustrated decided to feature Joanne Gair's body painting in its swimsuit issue, who do you think they called? You're right! It was Daniela.

Daniela is one of those models who could have an entire wall... make that an entire room with pictures of all of her covers on the walls from floor to ceiling. I don't know if she does have such a room, just that she could do that if she wanted to. Heck, if you've got them, you go, girl!

Just as a small sampling, here are a few of Daniela's covers over the years:

2017:
Donna (Andreas Ortner)

2016:
Harper's Bazaar Czech Republic (Matus Toth)

2014
Elle Czech

2012
Marie Claire Czech Republic

2011
Style

2006
Shape USA

1999
Elle Spain

1995
Marie Claire, USA; Cosmopolitan, USA

1991
Mademoiselle, USA; Cosmopolitan, USA

Daniela follows in the footsteps of fellow supermodel Paulina Porizkova, another one of those models with the two recognizable names. Yes, Czech women can make an impact.

Daniela has a variety of looks. She has the nickname "The Chameleon" as a result. Oh, in Czech, that's Chameleon. See how easy it can be to learn foreign languages?

Recently, Daniela has been doing work with Avon and their Anew skin care products. She also appears in Nutri Advance, Luxe makeup and Celluvive ads.

Daniela is signed with Trump Models.

Daniela at the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in NYC.

Daniela may have been married to Tommaso Buti - they are described as husband and wife in '90s shots, but it may have been an informal deal. Her subsequent long-time relationship with Slovak singer Pavol Habera, frontman of Slovak band TEAM, definitely is informal, but with some formal results. They have a daughter, Ella, and a son, Paul Henry, together.

Daniela definitely is a legend in the modeling racket. She was on the cover of the Legends Swimsuit Edition for Sports Illustrated in 2014.

Daniela also was in Peter Lindbergh's 2014 book, "Images of Women II: 2005-2014." If anyone knows a supermodel, it would be Lindbergh, who some claim is responsible for the whole phenomenon.

Daniela in a Victoria's Secret Catalog.

While Daniela has not done much acting, she has appeared on numerous shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and various Sports Illustrated video projects.

Daniela remains at the top of the modeling world with her timeless, classic beauty. That's pretty rare: most models hang it up after, you know, the first half dozen Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. Sure, Daniela works hard to maintain her look - but that kind of pure beauty is not something that you can create, it has to just happen. For Daniela, it happened.

Below, a couple of videos of the lovely Daniela Pestova.






2017

Romee Strijd, Dutch Angel Delight

Romee Strijd at the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris.

Victoria's Secret fans need no introduction to world-class beauty Romee Strijd. This Dutch beauty is an Angel who lights up the stage every year at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Romee Strijd is from Zoetermeer, Holland, a suburb of both The Hague and Rotterdam. She was born on 19 July 1995, which makes her a Cancer.

Lots of people pronounce Romee's name wrong. It is Roe-may Stri-de. If you say Stride, you'll be really close, just let the "i" in "Stride" glide a little bit. And, put the accent on the second part of her first name - RoeMAY Striiide. That's just an approximation, so don't get upset if it's not exact. Believe me, I know all about difficult-to-pronounce names with a "j" that people just can't get quite right, but make the effort to get it right and Romee will appreciate it.

Romee was shopping one Saturday with her mom in Amsterdam when she was discovered. She didn't bite right away - she says she was shy - but Romee thought about it a bit and then gave the agent a call.

Getting her first major bookings at a young age was not overwhelming to Romee because she didn't appreciate how fantastic her success was:

I’d be in Paris to walk in a Louis Vuitton show without even appreciating what a big deal that is. So I don’t think I felt the pressure in the same way that I might have if I’d been older.

Romee got her first booking with Victoria's Secret through her agency. She says that she was in shock that they would be interested in her.

Romee first walked in the big show in 2014. She was an instant hit.

Victoria's Secret liked Romee so much that they made her an Angel the following year.

To date, Romee Strijd has walked in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows.

Among other achievements, Romee was on the inaugural cover of Dutch Vogue. Usually when that happens, it is just the start of a very long association with the publication. It would not be surprising to see Romee on the 10th Anniversary cover, for instance.

Romee's top covers include:

2016

• October, Maxim, USA
• October, The Edit (Bjorn Iooss), USA
• June, Style, USA
• May, Vogue Netherlands (Quintin de Briey), Vogue Spain
• February, French Revue De Modes

2015

• Victoria's Secret Swim, March 2015, Vol. 5

2012

• December, Vogue Girl, Korea
• April, Elle Netherlands, Vogue Netherlands

Fellow Dutch lingerie legend and Angel Doutzen Kroes gave Romee some advice upon signing her contract:

She told me to stay cool and try to enjoy it all. Doutzen is a real inspiration, but I think everybody has to approach modeling their own way.

Romee told Fashionista that her first appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in London was hard to top:

The first time was all so new, I didn't know what to expect. I got to see all of the Angels for real for the first time. From that point, everything happened so fast: I became an Angel myself! It happened two months after the show. I never expected it — I was 19 years old, and I never thought they'd [give a contract to] someone my age.

The 2014/2015 year was a time of transition for Victoria's Secret. Several stalwarts like Kroes, Erin Heatherton and Miranda Kerr made their final strolls down the runway, and many now-familiar faces began their careers. Aside from Romee, these included Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and many others.

Since first walking in the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Romee has walked for Chanel, Balmain, Moschino, Fendi, and other top brands.

Nothing compares to wearing those Angel wings, though.

In September 2016, Romee walked for Alexander Wang. She said it was a "cool brand." Not to slight the others that she walked for, including Michael Kors, which also are mighty cool.

Romee is friends with Taylor Hill, and they appeared together in the fall 2015 Juicy Couture campaign. Always nice when you can work with your buds.

Of course, Romee is friends with many of the Angels and other Victoria's Secret models now. But, at heart, she's still just an ordinary girl like everyone else.

Below, Romee with Behati Prinsloo. Renee spent the week before New Year's 2017 in Trancoso, Brazil with Lais Ribeiro and Jasmine Tookes. Nice, huh? That's what you get for being one of the world's top models.

Romee is very popular on Twitter and Instagram. Her Twitter account is incredibly active, but she doesn't have a ton of followers yet, so go sign up!

Hair Color – Blonde

Eye Color – Blue

Measurements – (US) 31-23-33

Dress Size – (US) 31-23-33

Shoe Size – (US) 8.5

2017

Lais Ribeiro, Teen Mom Angel

Lais Ribeiro at the launch of “Body By Victoria” Campaign in NYC.

Lais Ribeiro is a Victoria's Secret Angel, which is considered the ultimate for a lingerie model. However, she took an unusual pathway to get there, which just shows that there are many ways to become an Angel if you have the right stuff. Obviously, Lais does, so let's learn a little bit more about this fascinating Angel.

Lais was born on 5 October 1990 in Teresina, Piauí. If you haven't heard of Teresina, Piauí, you certainly aren't alone. Teresina is a city 366 km from coast and is the 19th largest city in Brazil. While that may not seem so bad, Lais actually grew up in a rural location that was much more remote.

Lais at the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

That, however, is not what is unusual about Lais' career. Lots of top models come from humble and even remote origins (such as, for instance, Irina Shayk, who is from a remote Russian coal town). No, what is most unusual about Lais is that she didn't even consider a modeling career until she already was a mother. Lais had a boy, Alexandre, before she even began modeling, much less modeled for Victoria's Secret.

A childhood friend, Iara Melo, suggested that Lais try her hand at modeling - she needed a job. Lais picked up some local modeling jobs, but local fashion shows rejected her on the grounds that Lais wasn't curvy enough. She actually wound up outside the modeling venues handing out flyers.

Lais Ribeiro by Jerome Duran for Bottletop’s Summer 2016 Ad Campaign. Source: Bottletop.

Finally, an agent "discovered" Lais and entered her in a national modeling competition. Lais won, of course. That's how it's done, folks. Too many models to count entered a competition and won, setting them on the road to stardom, and Lais is one of them.

Lais moved to New York - a big step for a girl who had never left the country - and debuted at the 2010 Rag and Bone's Fall Show during New York Fashion Week. That got her noticed, and soon Lais was in Milan walking for Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace.

Lais by Phil Oh, at the 2017 New York Men's Show.

The thing that everybody noticed about Lais was her athletic build. While considered scrawny in her home region of Brazil, Lais was positively curvy by high fashion standards.

The year 2010 was a whirlwind for Lais. She debuted in the spring shows, and she closed the year by walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Not too many models do both in the same modeling year.

Lais has walked in each show since except for the 2012 show, when she sprained her ankle during rehearsals (pal Behati Prinsloo took her place). She became an Angel, the highest rung on the ladder, in April 2015. She opened the Birds of Paradise segment in 2013, and appeared in the 2011 Christmas commercial and the 2012 Valentine's Day commercial.

Lais with Candice Swanepoel and Behati Prinsloo.

Lais loves Victoria's Secret. She told US Weekly:

Victoria's Secret has supported me from the beginning. They have instilled confidence, hope, and a strong business sense. 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.

Her favorite Angels are fellow Brazilian models Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen.

GQ MEXICO: Lais Ribeiro by Richard Ramos. Source: Visualizing Fashion.

Lais has a number of covers, of course. She is a big favorite in Brazil, but as the below sample shows, she is popular around the world:

• Brazil: 'SPFW Journal' - January 2010; 'Vogue' (supplement) - July 2011; 'Vogue' - January 2012; 'Harper's Bazaar' - January 2013; 'Wish Report' - April 2013; 'Elle' - May 2014; 'Elle' - September 2015
• France: ''Fashion Daily' - July 2010; 'L'Officiel' - February 2013; 'Lui' - September 2016
• Germany: 'Vogue' - March 2012
• Italy: 'Elle Italy' - June 2015
• Mexico: 'GQ Mexico' - August 2016
• Spain: 'Harper's Bazaar' - December 2010
• South Africa: 'GQ South Africa' - August 2015

Lais mixes up her exercise routine, playing several sports and also doing yoga and boxing. Being a mom, though, probably gives her the best exercise.

The GQ Mexico August 2016 covery by Richard Ramos.

Lais at the TAO Downtown After Party following the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on 10 November 2015.

2017