The Stunning Style Transformation Of Gisele Bündchen

Every decade has its most well-known supermodels, and when we think of the 2000s, Gisele Bündchen is definitely one of the first names that comes to mind. Thanks to her contagious energy and breathtaking natural beauty, the Brazilian took the fashion world by storm — and more than two decades later, we still can't get enough of her. 

"I think it was her first season in Paris when she came to do a fitting," John Galliano remembered about meeting the model (via Harper's Bazaar). "I had heard about Gisele, but when she walked in the room I felt like my fingers had been put into the electrical socket, like, pwoah! Pure electricity." And Galliano wasn't the only one who noticed her potential early on. "What I love about her is her sensuality and energy," Donatella Versace shared, adding that "Gisele is one of a kind." From her beginnings in the late '90s to her current influence on fashion, Bündchen remains one of the most influential supermodels in the world — and her style transformation over the years is just as stunning as she is!

Born and raised in Horizontina, Brazil, Gisele Bündchen kicked off her modeling career in the mid-1990s: a period when severe skinniness and the so-called "heroin chic" style ruled the fashion world. In 1996, Bündchen made her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week. "I came along right from Brazil. I was having a good time, excited to have a job —  it was refreshing," the model said in 2008 (via Today). "Sometimes I ask, 'Why me?' I'm from a village of 10,000 people in the south of Brazil. I'm very grateful for my opportunities."

By the end of the '90s, Bündchen was credited with single-handedly ending the "heroin chic" era, promoting a curvier body and sun-kissed glow. Her fashion at the time was very much on top of the Y2K trends — and glitter, leather, and fun eye makeup played a major role in her look. With her (possibly heatless) perfect beachy waves and undeniable charisma, it was only a matter of time before she took the fashion industry by storm. However, the star admitted that not everyone believed she had what it takes. "I'll never forget the day when a woman came up to me and said, 'No, you could never be on a magazine cover. Your face features don't work; your eyes are small, you have a small face but a big nose,'" Bündchen told Harper's Bazaar in 2009. "I was only 14 and I had never noticed any of that stuff, you know?" Of course, in hindsight, that person couldn't have been more wrong.

As the early aughts were kicking off, Gisele Bündchen — who became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2000 — was slowly but surely becoming one of the most popular names in the modeling industry. At the time, Bündchen's fashion was all about a fun and effortless vibe, as the model often rocked a very dewy and natural makeup look to accompany her fashion choices. 

A particular trend we got to see her rock numerous times during this period was sheer clothing. One of her best sheer-trend moments happened at a 2003 MTV Video Music Awards party hosted by PlayStation, during which her top left little to the imagination. Of course, there are some styling mistakes to avoid when trying to nail the sheer trend, but as Bündchen was an expert at it, she rarely had any fashion faux pas.

As the mid-2000s were approaching, Gisele Bündchen, who was in her mid-20s at the time, was often attending red-carpet events. For those engagements, the model opted for floor-length mermaid silk gowns that perfectly accentuated her curves. In 2004, she attended the premiere of the action comedy movie ”Taxi” in New York City, and for the occasion, she decided to go with a simple, off-white, silk gown that not many could pull off. However, our favorite look from this era is definitely the coral-pink, silk, Christian Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano dress with delicate embellishments at the top and bottom, which she wore to the 2006 Met Gala.

While Bündchen was one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry, privately, the model admitted that her life is very simple. "I'm a very boring person. I work a lot, I go from home from work, I eat dinner, sleep. I don't take drugs, I'm not scandalous," she said in 2005 (via MI6). In a conversation with Vanity Fair, Bündchen also admitted that her job isn't as beautiful as some believe it to be. "Let me tell you," she said in 2004, "being a model is not so glamorous as you think. Sometimes you stand around in little clothes in the freezing weather, in Iceland. Sometimes you burn up for hours in the sun on the beach. It is a good job, but it's just a job. You listen to Gisele on that one, okay?"

By the late 2000s, Gisele Bündchen had become a certified fashion icon — one that millions of fans looked up to. In 2008, she became the spokesmodel for Max Factor. "She's the image of our high fashion consumer," Max Factor's associate marketing director, Bruce Katsman, told Today. "It's not so much about her look, per se. She's rocked the runway so she's perceived as a great canvas. We think she does the same thing for makeup."

However, while many adored her for her glamorous style, Bündchen admitted that being fashionable wasn't really a priority of hers when picking an outfit. "I've never been one of those girls who was a fashion girl. I didn't have to have the bag or belt of the season," she told the outlet. "I like fashion, I like clothes, I enjoy when I look nice, but my main concern is how comfortable I'm going to be all day." In fact, proving how humble and down-to-earth she is, Bündchen admitted to Harper's Bazaar in 2009 that she doesn't really think of herself as a supermodel. "I really don't feel like that word. It doesn't resonate for me. It doesn't define me," she said. "As long as I'm a good person and I do things from the heart, that's all that matters."

While Bündchen may not have thought of herself as a supermodel, the world couldn't have disagreed more. Naturally, she became a staple at the Met Gala, the fashion event of the year. In 2007, she showed up to the event in a gorgeous Yves Saint Laurent gown with edgy black detailing, and a year later, she graced the Met Gala in a silk Versace gown with risky cutouts.

As Gisele Bündchen entered her 30s, she became even more daring and unpredictable with her fashion and beauty choices. For the 2010 Met Gala, the supermodel opted to go with a black Alexander Wang leather minidress with a fringe at the hemline. To make the look even more dramatic, she paired the dress with a lived-in smokey eye that was the perfect balance between messy and glamorous. In a conversation with the Los Angeles Times in 2010, Bündchen admitted that she, just like everyone else, also goes through days where she doesn't feel confident and doubts herself. "Everyone has those days," she said. "I just stop for a minute and think about all the things I'm grateful for and the feeling goes right away. Other days a little mascara and some lip balm can do the trick."

In 2011, Bündchen launched her second clothing collection with the brand C&A, revealing that she enjoys the process of designing a lot more than modeling. "C&A invited me to create a collection that has my signature personal style. It was really cool being involved in the design side of the fashion business," the supermodel revealed on her blog (via the Daily Mail). "It is more fun to be part of the process and not just a model," she said. "My goal with the collection is for it to look fashionable and be super comfy."

By 2012, Gisele Bündchen had two children with then-husband NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Motherhood, of course, changed the Brazilian's style, and Bündchen's model-off-duty look became a big part of her fashion influence. The star was all about oversized jackets and monochromatic looks, both of which simplified her daily routine while still allowing her to look fashionable. In fact, Bündchen was one of the stars who popularized the trend in the mid-2010s.

As a mother, Bündchen was now using her voice to advocate for authenticity and realness. " ... I feel like women should be really real and raw and it doesn't really happen anymore [in fashion photographs]," Bündchen admitted to Fashionista in 2013. "I love that feeling of, you know, we are women, we are so different, our imperfections are what make us unique and beautiful."

In 2014, Gisele Bündchen wowed us with another intricate Met Gala look. The model wore a black Balenciaga gown with tiny cutouts throughout, giving the appearance of lace. Her street style continued reigning supreme, and one of our favorite looks is undoubtedly the beige ensemble she wore while out and about in New York City in March 2015. The sherpa jacket and bell-bottom jeans added a flare of '70s nostalgia to a very modern look.

In 2015, Bündchen retired from the runway after walking for the brand Colcci at Brazil's Fashion Week. "I am grateful that at 14, I was given the opportunity to start this journey. Today after 20 years in the industry, it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business," the supermodel wrote on Instagram. During an episode of "Tea at the Beatrice," Bündchen opened up about how different the world's perception of her is. "For a long time, a lot of people would project the image of Gisele, of the sex bomb and stuff, which is nothing to do with really who I am," she said.

In 2016 and 2017, Gisele Bündchen gave us numerous breathtaking looks, many of which included edgy cutouts — a trend that was huge at the time. Showing off her back was also a staple in the supermodel's fashion arsenal, and her 2017 Met Gala look is the best example of that. For the annual event, Bündchen — who was a co-chair for the evening — went with a delicate Stella McCartney gown with a bare back. The look proved to be the perfect balance between glamorous and sultry, and the material was an eye-catching choice.

In 2016, Bündchen acknowledged that it was her hard work that brought her to the top. "I always knew that, even if I was not the most beautiful girl, I'd be the most energetic and hard-working," she told the New York Times. By now, it was clear that Bündchen's name was always going to be mentioned amongst those of the most successful OG supermodels.

The late 2010s gave us some of Gisele Bündchen's most stunning fashion moments — and two of our favorites occurred at the Met Gala. In 2018, she showed up to the New York City event in a champagne silk gown by Versace — one that perfectly cascaded over her curves. The asymmetrical silhouette added a modern touch, and the supermodel's hair, makeup, and accessories were the perfect addition to an already ethereal look. Speaking of ethereal, a year later, Bündchen (who was a staple at the Met Gala by this point) attended the Gala in a flowy, dusty-pink Dior gown that was just as ethereal as the one she wore a year prior — yet completely different.

In a candid conversation with Harper's Bazaar in 2018, Bündchen reflected on her youth, remembering that becoming a fashion model wasn't a big interest of hers. "I was a good girl," the star said. "I was a tomboy. I was someone whose big breasts has embarrassed her since she'd hit puberty. I was a girl gripped by the fear that my family would feel so embarrassed they would never speak to me again. I was terrified."

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we got to see Gisele Bündchen in her most casual editions. Of course, as the entire fashion industry was put on hold, Bündchen was mostly spotted running errands with her children or attending NFL games with them. For those outings, the supermodel stuck with simple and monochromatic athleisure looks, mostly in black. In fact, her choices only highlight the color psychology of black clothing and why we love wearing it so much.

In 2020, Bündchen entered her 40s — an age that women in the modeling industry traditionally fear. However, for Bündchen, entering her 40s felt great. "I think I feel better in my 40s than I did in my 20s and not just physically, because we're all told that life is over at 40 and I feel like I'm just beginning," the supermodel admitted to Vogue in 2022. Bündchen's personal life went through a major change in the early 2020s, as she and Tom Brady finalized their divorce in 2022.

Freshly divorced, Gisele Bündchen was all about exuding confidence in her 40s. In the summer of 2023, she began dating jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, and a year later, the two welcomed their first child together. Bündchen's newfound happiness was also evident in her public appearances, as the supermodel looked super radiant wherever she went. 

With these changes in her private life, Bündchen allowed herself to have some more fun with her fashion. In fact, funky red-carpet dresses and dramatic coats for casual outings became a staple for her. In 2023, Bündchen attended the Met Gala in a showstopping white gown by Chanel — a piece that truly made her look like an angel. While the supermodel wasn't one to experiment with her hair or makeup too much, when it came to clothing, Bündchen became even more daring with age.

Now in her mid-40s, Gisele Bündchen remains one of the most well-known supermodels in the world. While the star has slowed down and focused on her family life — and has hardly been seen in public or posted on social media — Bündchen didn't say goodbye to the fashion industry entirely. In 2025, she collaborated with the brand Marc O'Polo on a campaign for their beachy and sustainable fashion line. 

"Nature is a huge part of my life every day," the model said in the promo video shared on Instagram. "When I take my dog out, I just go barefoot so I can just feel the earth underneath my feet. Anytime I'm in nature, I feel like I'm being healed." As Bündchen is becoming more vocal about her love for nature, her style has also become simplified and very comfortable. "Natural fabrics for me are a must, not only for my health but for the health of the planet," she added. "If you have linens, cottons, and things that are not synthetic I think they are a lot healthier for you because they allow your skin to breathe."

Now, if you're not ready to leave the fashion industry quite yet, check out the stunning style transformation of a model of a younger generation: Kaia Gerber.