Gisele Bundchen has shared an emotional message following the news that she will be retiring from the catwalk. The 34-year-old supermodel shared a touching throwback photo of herself ahead of her final catwalk appearance.
Gisele Bundchen shared a touching message and throwback photo on Instagram
"I am grateful that at 14, I was given the opportunity to start this journey," she captioned the throwback image, with a Portuguese translation below for fans in her home country, Brazil. "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. #firstrunway #14yearsold." The mother-of-two has been steadily decreasing her catwalk appearances save for a few high fashion brands including Chanel, but after months of speculation she confirmed earlier this week that she will be leaving the runway. "Automatically, my body tells me if what I do is worth it, and it asked to stop," she told Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo. "I respect my body, it's a privilege to be able to stop. I don't see how to continue modelling on the catwalk."
Gisele has been modelling since she was 14 years old
Although Gisele will no longer be gracing the Fashion Week catwalks, this doesn't mark the end of her highly successful career. Gisele, who is married to American football quarterback Tom Brady, revealed that she isn't leaving the world of modelling entirely. "Stopping will leave room for other projects I have for myself," she revealed. The former Victoria's Secret angel continues to enjoy an unrivalled career in the fashion industry, and has been named the World's Highest-Paid Model by Forbes eight years in a row, having pocketed over $47million last year alone. Scouted when she was just 14 years old, Gisele has walked for countless designers including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Valentino and Alexander McQueen, as well as starring in hundreds of campaigns. The muse of many high profile fashion photographers including Mario Testino, the model and actress also enjoys a strong fan base with millions of followers on her social media accounts.