Gisele Bündchen Looks Back at Her Life in W Covers

January 1999

This was your first W cover. What was your reaction when you booked it?

It was a mix of excitement, gratitude, and disbelief. I was still very young, far from home, and learning how the fashion world worked. Getting my first W cover was one of those moments when I realized that maybe all the sacrifices, traveling, and uncertainty were leading somewhere. I always believed the important thing was to stay grounded, work hard, and treat people with kindness, no matter what was happening professionally.

May 1999

Everyone characterized your rise as “the return of the sexy model.” What did you make of that?

Confidence and health can naturally come across as sensuality, but for me it was never about trying to project an image—I was just being myself. Once people started associating me with “the return of the sexy model,” things happened fast. Rejection had taught me resilience and not to base my self-worth on other people’s opinions. One day I was doing constant castings and hearing “no” over and over, and then suddenly I was working nonstop. But now I realize that what people responded to wasn’t only my look, but also my personality. I was very alive and happy to be there. Fashion at that moment was changing, and maybe I represented a healthier, more energetic spirit. This is still one of my favorite W covers because it captured me in a raw, natural, and very honest way.

January 2000

You were known for your “horse walk”—exuberant stomping that sometimes resulted in broken heels on the runway. How did you develop that walk?

It happened naturally. I grew up in Brazil, always connected to sports and to my body, and maybe that is why my walk was like that. I am a size 7 shoe and five feet ten, so it was also how I balanced myself on very high heels. I think the horse walk became popular because it had power. For me, walking a runway was never just about the clothes—it was about confidence.

February 2000

People often compared you to a silent screen star because you understood that modeling can be like acting. What do you think about while being photographed?

Every shoot has its own emotion and character. Sometimes you are strong and mysterious, other times joyful or romantic. I loved exploring those different sides of myself. The energy on set also influences everything—hair, makeup, styling, lighting, music. It all comes together to create a mood. When I’m being photographed, I try not to overthink. I usually focus on feeling present in my body and connecting with the character I’ve created in my head.

March 2001

For this cover, you wore a Christian Dior bustier, and for many years you starred in Dior ads. What was your relationship with John Galliano like?

John was incredibly imaginative. He approached fashion almost like cinema—every collection had a story, a fantasy, a world of its own. He encouraged everyone to dream with him, and that freedom was very inspiring for me as a model. I have many beautiful memories from that era because there was such artistry involved, and I feel grateful to have experienced that level of creativity firsthand.

August 2001

This was your sixth cover with Michael Thompson. What was the most unexpected moment you two had on a shoot?

Michael was one of the most easygoing people in the fashion world. He wanted to do his job and go back home to his family, so we knew that by 5 p.m. we were going to be done. There was always a lot of laughing on set with him. Some of the best memories came from the in-between moments: joking around, not taking ourselves too seriously. Those moments create trust, and trust allows people to do their best work.

October 2001

For this cover, you wore Ralph Lauren. What is your best memory with him?

Ralph Lauren was one of the first designers to book me for campaigns when I was still very young. He was a gentleman and a family man, and always treated me with warmth and respect. That stays with you. I love that this shoot was powerful and sexy, but still effortless. Sometimes the strongest photographs are the least complicated.

February 2002

How does doing a shoot compare to walking the runway?

The preparation is very different. For a runway show, there is a lot of adrenaline because everything happens live and very quickly—you get only one shot at it. A photo shoot requires a different type of focus. The camera captures very small details and emotions, so you have to slow down and become much more aware of your expressions and body language. In both situations, confidence comes from feeling good—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Over time, I also learned that true confidence doesn’t come from looking a certain way—it comes from feeling comfortable in your own skin.

August 2002

You shared this foldout cover with other legendary models, including Patti Hansen and Cindy Crawford, who came before you.

They represented different generations of fashion, and I was honored to be among them. The atmosphere felt relaxed and easy. When strong women come together with mutual respect instead of competition, the energy becomes joyful. We had fun.

November 2002

You shared this cover with the Calvin Klein model Travis Fimmel. The idea was to pair the two hottest models of the moment. What did you make of that?

When they explained the concept for the shoot—that we were supposed to look wet and like we had been out partying together—I remember thinking, Hmm, here we go. But in the end, the images turned out tasteful. I actually met Travis only that day. He came to the shoot after a night out, so he was a bit quiet and we didn’t talk very much, but I remember thinking he was very nice. The shoot itself was super quick. We were done in maybe an hour.

March 2003

This was your first W shoot with Inez & Vinoodh. What was the vibe like on set?

Inez and Vinoodh always bring such an artistic and modern vision to their work. You always end up with something unique. They work almost like two people sharing one creative brain. This is still one of my favorite shoots. I thought the look they chose for the cover was unexpected because the previous covers I had done for W were more on the sexy side.

January 2004

This was your first W cover with Craig McDean, though you had worked with him many times.

I was traveling constantly at that time and trying my best to fit in all the job requests. We shot this cover at the end of the day, after I had finished another shoot. I was acting goofy and making funny faces between takes. Little did I know that Craig would use the entire roll of film and print all those images across a spread inside the magazine. When the issue came out and I saw what he had done, I thought it was so cool because you usually don’t get to see the whole process. Some of the best moments with Craig happened when things became completely unplanned—the imperfect moments created the best photographs.

June 2005

For this shoot, you wore Carolina Herrera. Do you remember the first time you met her?

Carolina Herrera is elegance personified. The first thing you notice about her is her grace, but also her kindness. She was warm to me from the first time I met her. I was only 15 and didn’t speak much English yet, so she spoke Spanish and made me feel comfortable. I always admired how timeless her work felt. You could see that she genuinely loved making women feel beautiful and feminine.

July 2007

This was your 12th cover with Michael Thompson. At this stage of your career, you had a growing spiritual practice. How did that impact your work?

I had moved to Boston and was living a much quieter life. Earlier in my career, everything was about achievement and saying yes to every opportunity. Over time, I began to understand the importance of finding balance. My spiritual practice helped me become more present and more connected to myself. Instead of focusing on external expectations, I started paying attention to how I felt internally. That changed everything—not only my work, but also the way I experienced life.

Summer 2026

This is your first cover with us in 19 years.

Time really did fly by! So much has changed since then. I feel lucky because I can pick and choose what I do, and I work only with people I genuinely enjoy being around. When I was younger, I was often asking myself, Am I doing enough? Am I getting it right? After more than 30 years in front of the camera, I’ve come to really understand everything that goes into creating an image. I also understand that every image creates a feeling, and when you are confident and accepting of yourself, everything flows naturally. When I arrived on set for this shoot, the best part was reconnecting with everyone and feeling that creative energy again. It was such a fun day. Thank you for having me!

Hair by Sandy Hullett; makeup by Mark Carrasquillo at Streeters; manicure by Aspa Pappa. Model: Gisele Bündchen. Casting by Ashley Brokaw Casting.

Produced By Prodn; Executive Producer: Stephanie Ge; Production Manager: Patrick Langlitz; Photo Assistants: Jose Arizmendi, Yves Mourtada, Thomas Vincent; Digital Technician: Aurentin Girard At Imagin Productions; Postproduction: Marie Lanoë At Imagin Productions; Production Assistants: Edward Augustin, Jaco Joseph, Mario Lisboa; Fashion Market Editor: Tori López; Fashion Assistants: Isabella Manning, Audrey Petit, Omar Thomas; Tailor: Cynthia Crusan-Noble; Hair Assistant: Alana Ashley; Makeup Assistant: Olivia Lopez.