Friday, April 10

The World's Top Earning Models


Valentina Zelyaeva - $2.3 Million

This classically beautiful Muscovite is the exclusive face of Ralph Lauren and two L'Oréal fragrances. Besides being the face of L'Oréal fragrances Turquoise and Romance, this 25-year-old is sitting pretty with one of the best contracts in the business. A Ralph Lauren deal, says her agent, Chris Gay of Women Management, "is one of the greatest things you can have." Indeed.


Kate Moss - $7.5 Million

The überwaif lost some important contracts last year, but her fashion line is an international hit.The 34-year-old ended campaigns with Burberry, Stella McCartney, Dior and Versace. But her retail line with British retailer Topshop, carried in 29 countries, keeps her bank account from starving. Other clients include Donna Karan, Longchamp, Agent Provocateur, Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli and Rimmel.

Selita Ebanks - $2.7 Million

This lingerie lovely is the latest Victoria's Secret millionaire. The 25-year-old was born in the Cayman Islands and lived in New York while contemplating a career in law. Unfortunately for the legal industry, the caramel-skinned beauty went into modeling instead. Last year, she made her first appearance in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She's been romantically linked to actor Nick Cannon and New York Giants defensive linesman Osi Umenyiora.


Natalia Vodianova - $4.8 Million

This ravishing Russian and mother of three, 26, has been a Calvin Klein muse for longer than any other model, including Kate Moss. Vodianova is the exclusive face of Calvin Klein's Euphoria fragrance. She also picked up deals with Paris-based beauty giant Guerlain, Chanel, Versace and Diane Von Furstenberg, and continues to model for David Yurman jewelry.



Liya Kebede - $1.5 Million

Estée Lauder's first black model was phased out of the company's ads last year, but she's hardly disappeared. This 30-year-old Ethiopian groundbreaker hangs on by her manicured fingernails to the list by virtue of contracts with H&M, The Gap, Anne Taylor and Givenchy.



Karolina Kurkova - $5 Million

The Victoria's Secret babe remains one of the lingerie giant's most important--and highest paid--models. If it seems like this Czech beauty has been around the industry much longer than would it would seem for someone only 23 years old--that is because she hit success young, appearing on Vogue at 16 and bagging her Victoria's Secret contract at 21. This year, she renegotiated her contract with the lingerie giant, as well as campaigned for Dell and Mexico City-based department store giant Liverpool.


Isabeli Fontana - $3 Million

This gorgeous Revlon model makes her list debut. Fontana, 24, hasn't been around too much lately, as she took some time off to raise her two children. But she's back with a bang, booking campaigns with lingerie lines Passionata and Chantelle, H&M, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Viktor & Rolf fragrance.



Hilary Rhoda - $2 Million

The new face of Estée Lauder is also hailed as the new face of fashion. The stunning 21-year-old former athlete from Chevy Chase, Md., is the heir to the famous faces of Estée Lauder. She's a favorite in the pages of Vogue and made waves as the "new" face of fashion with her curvier (for the modeling world) body.


Heidi Klum - $14 Million

The second highest-paid model in the world is more of a media and retail mogul, with hit shows in two countries and lines of jewelry, jeans and skincare. The 34-year-old model and mother of three (hubby is singer Seal) has renewed her Victoria's Secret contract, heads up the hit Bravo (soon to be Lifetime) reality fashion show Project Runway and Germany's version of America's Next Top Model. She designs three lines of Mouawad jewelry and a line of Jordache jeans. Then there's new deals with Diet Coke, McDonald's, Volkswagen and Fontanis water. She's also coming out with a skincare line, In An Instant, to be marketed by powerhouse Guthy-Renker.



Gisele Bundchen - $35 Million

The highest-paid model said goodbye to Victoria's Secret in 2007, but still juggles 20 contracts.The 27-year-old continues to bag new contracts, noticeably with Pantene and a cosmetics giant yet to be named. Her face graces ads for Disney, Nivea, Vogue eyewear and Aquascutum, the U.K.-based luxury line. Her line of Grendene sandals, Ipanema by Gisele, banks her about $6 million a year. And her romance with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady keeps her in the tabloids--she even escaped being blamed for the Patriots' loss to the Giants.


Gemma Ward - $3 Million

This doll-faced Australian was in the news this year when she was romantically linked to Heath Ledger shortly before his death in January.


Daria Werbowy - $3.8 Million

This Canadian may not be a household name, but she's a household face. This striking brunette, 24, is the main visage for beauty behemoth Lancome, but that is far from all. She rotates ad campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Valentino, H&M, Missoni and David Yurman jewelry.



Doutzen Kroes - $6 Million

This honey from Holland, 23, makes the longest leap up the list this year thanks to her contracts with Calvin Klein, L'Oréal and Victoria's Secret. The Dutch model catwalks into the top five, thanks to being a triple contract threat: She reps fragrance and fashion with Calvin Klein's Eternity and White Label, cosmetics with L'Oréal and lingerie as the newest Victoria's Secret model. And let's not forget diamonds with De Beers


Carolyn Murphy - $4.5 Million

The face of Estée Lauder has no trouble bagging other clients. If you've been in a department store any time within the past few years, you've seen this ubiquitous 32-year-old. The porcelain-skinned beauty is not only the main face of cosmetics powerhouse Estée Lauder, but she adorns ads for Anne Klein, Tiffany & Co., Lord & Taylor and Jantzen swimwear.


Adriana Lima - $7 Million

The Brazilian beauty remains hugely popular on the Web and in her Victoria's Secret commercials.The blue-eyed beauty, 27, lost her Italian phone company Telecom Italia contract, but holds on to bread-and-butter clients Victoria's Secret and Maybelline, for which she just renegotiated a multiyear deal. She also modeled for Mexico City-based department store giant Liverpool and graced the April cover of GQ magazine, her second for the men's mag, and drew a record number of hits to its Web site. Her sexy Valentine's Day Victoria's Secret Superbowl ad was a sensation.

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