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This Is How All The Top Legendary Models Were Actually Discovered!

Choosing our career paths is the toughest decision we have to make in our lifetimes. A ton of factors are to be considered before we can set foot in a certain direction. Our strengths and weaknesses, the job’s requirements, success rate, and the like need thorough evaluation. While some know from the start where their interest lies, others prefer to go with the flow.

As for any other field, making it to the top in the modeling industry is no cakewalk. Being a model demands more than what meets a layman’s eye. From traveling day and night for shows and shoots to staying in perfect shape to making new contacts, the stress is unimaginable.

Mentioned below are 36 models who have beaten all the odds and garnered immense fame and success.

Erin Heatherton

Heatherton was discovered while she was chilling at a beach. A scout from Abercrombie & Fitch noticed her and immediately inquired if she was represented by any modeling agency.

From where Erin comes from, Skokie, a career in modeling was not common at all. She felt somewhat embarrassed that the agent did not ask her friend to do modeling as well. In no time after that encounter, Erin moved to New York and was meeting with different agencies; she shared with Michigan Avenue Magazine back in 2011.

Erin has come a long way since then and has walked the runway for big brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, Chanel, Christian Lacroix, and the like. She got signed with Victoria’s Secret in 2008 and is still one of their featured faces.

Adriana Lima

Adriana has been modeling since she was a young teenager. At the age of 13, she got selected for a fashion contest in Brazil. Moreover, she was only 15 when came 2nd at Ford’s Supermodel of the World Competition. Later on, she got herself signed with Elite.

Barbara Palvin

Barbara was discovered by an agent from Icon Model Management in 2006. She was in Budapest, strolling the streets with her mum when the agent noticed her and asked to take a few pictures of her. Since then, Barbara has been walking runways and signing up for ad campaigns.

Kimora Lee Simmons

When Kimora was a young teenager, Karl Lagerfeld offered her a contract with Chanel. It was indeed the best opportunity a budding model could wish for. As expected, the partnership with a major brand like Chanel gave Kimora a kick start to her career.

Behati Prinsloo

A fun getaway with her grandparents presented Behati with an opportunity that completely transformed her life for the better. After finishing their prayers at a nearby church, she, along with her folks, went grocery shopping and that was where a scout accosted her and asked if she was a model. He further wrote down his contact info and handed it to her. Her grandfather thought the man to be shady, Prinsloo gushed to Fashionista.

They went home and told her parents about it, but nobody took it seriously. But, the next time she was vacationing in Cape Town, Sarah Doucas approached her and offered to sign her with their agency. Prinsloo accepted the offer and remained in Cape Town for that entire summer.

They later sent her to London.

Her debut was with Prada and Miu Miu. In 2009, Victoria’s Secret chose her to be one of their brand’s Angels. In collaboration with the same brand, she launched her swimsuit line called Behati Loves Pink. She has been the face of campaigns by Nina Rikki, Nine West, and H&M.