The next time you’re feeling discouraged about your career progress, remember this: Gisele Bündchen was once told she’d never grace a magazine cover. She also faced 42 casting rejections before walking the Alexander McQueen show in 1998. We have this on record — this is not merely a ploy by the Brazilian beauty to appear relatable as she promotes her upcoming Taschen photo book, Gisele, due out May 10.
While we don’t all have the consolation prize of being willowy, naturally bronzed and blue-slash-green-eyed, it is heartening to know that the struggle is somewhat universal. When Gisele was first starting out in the fashion industry, “I remember some people telling me my nose was too big or my eyes were too small, that I could never be on a magazine cover,” the highest paid supermodel in the world confessed to People. Industry insiders need to cease bullying our Angels.
Although her naysayers were clearly misguided, jealous or blind as bats, “It wasn’t easy to be 14 and hear that kind of criticism. It made me feel insecure. I told my dad, and he said, ‘Next time, tell them, I have a big nose and that comes with a big personality.’ At that point I felt if I kept working hard and giving my best, it would all work out.” Within two years, she’d landed the cover of British Vogue. As we all know, the Disney movie doesn’t even end there.
More humanizing tidbits from the Chanel Vlogger’s interview include her former love of the great indoors and cheap takeout (though it’s now been years since she’s deigned to ingest MSG): “I had very few friends but the ones I had were so supportive and loyal. We were all young and from different parts of the world trying to make it in the big city. Since none of us had much money at the time we would meet at each other’s houses for dinner, order cheap food, and split the bill. They became my family away from home and to this day they are dear friends.”
There you have it: Believe in yourself, ignore the haters, keep your perfect “big” nose to the grindstone and one day you, too, can accomplish all of your dreams – and ideally date Leonardo Dicaprio along the way.
