- Ana Beatriz redirects here, for the Brazilian racing driver, see Bia Figueiredo.
Ana Beatriz Barros (born May 29, 1982) is a Brazilian model. She is one of the most successful Brazilian supermodels. She has done advertisements for Guess?, Bebe, Victoria's Secret, Chanel cosmetics, and Jennifer Lopez's JLo fashion line.
Early life and career
She was born in a small town of Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil, to Sônia, a housewife, and Reinato Barros, a mechanic engineer. Later, her family moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she spent her childhood. She is of Portuguese and Spanish descent, and is the youngest of three sisters; Patricia and Malu (Maria Luisa).
Modeling career
When she was 14, Barros and her older sister, Patricia (also a model), were walking on a Rio beach when they were spotted by a representative from Elite Model Management. Barros went to see Elite office in Rio and Sergio Mattos - art director of 40 Graus. They then encouraged Barros to participate in the Elite Model Look 1996, which she won. She subsequently competed for international Elite Model Look and placed second worldwide. Elite sent her portfolio, along with some recent Polaroid shots, to GUESS? which led her to do the Millennium GUESS? campaign along with her friend and fellow Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio. She has done advertisements not only for Guess? but also for Christian Dior, Armani jeans, Oakley, L'Oreal, Naf Naf, Diesel, Ermanno Scervino, Victoria's Secret, Chanel cosmetics, and Jennifer Lopez's JLO fashion line, among others. In 2004 Jennifer Lopez selected Barros to be the face of her new lingerie line, JLO Lingerie. Lopez said, "I wanted someone young, sexy and urban, with a universal appeal." Barros has been in shows for the likes of Valentino, Missoni, Gucci, Christian Dior, Versace, Emporio Armani, BCBG, DKNY, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors ((Red Oak)) and many more prestigious fashion houses.She has been on numerous covers of magazines such as Glamour, Vogue, Marie Claire, Allure; Brazilian magazines such as Capricho and Audi magazine, W, ELLE to name a few. Barros appeared seven times on Sports Illustrated in the Swimsuit Issue (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008).
Personal life
Barros currently resides in New York. She has a tattoo on her middle lower back as well as on her ankle. She formerly dated British model James Rousseau, and art gallery owner Helly Nahmad, whom she dated for 4 years. She is best friends with fellow Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio.She once stated, "I want to go back to Brazil, get married, have lots of kids, and just be a couch tomato" and that "some years from now, I want to open, in Brazil, a dermathology clinic with my sisters Maria Luiza and Patricia, and a cousin." Ana has said that if she were not a model, she would like to have been a veterinarian.
She was named #96 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" supplement in 2006.
References
External links
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Last updated on Wednesday July 23, 2008 at 13:10:47 PDT (GMT -0700)
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