Adriana Lima was born on June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia. She competed in her first real pageant, Ford's "Supermodel of Brazil", when she was 15 years old, though she had won many small pageants as a child. Lima won the pageant, and went on to take second place in Ford's "Supermodel of the World" the following year. Directly after, Lima signed with Elite Model Management in New York City. Her modeling portfolio grew quickly, and she appeared in numerous editions of Vogue and marie Claire before going on to walk the runways of Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, and many more top desginers. Lima's first fashion show with Victoria's SEcret, which she is best known for, was in 1999. She continues her work for the company today, opening shows since 2003. Lima has even had a few small acting roles, such as her role of a businessman's wife in "The Follow".