The name “Linda Evangelista” is often associated with an ethereal beauty, a powerhouse of a supermodel who doesn’t wake up for less than ten thousand dollars a day. She is rarely thought of as being an accordion-playing dog-lover from small town Ontario.

The iconic model was born in St. Catherines, Ontario on May 10th, 1965 to Italian Catholic parents. When she turned twelve, she signed with a Toronto-based agency and began appearing in catalogues and small ad campaigns. Three years later, she entered a Miss Teen Niagara contest and caught the eye of an agent from Elite Model Management.

Evangelista moved to New York City to work with Elite after graduating high school. 

Although her career was moving along slowly, Evangelista was persistent in getting seen in the fashion world. She moved to Paris in 1984, and her determination began to pay off. By 1987, she was internationally recognizable. 

By the time the 1990’s rolled around, Evangelista had appeared on every major publication, and was a staple in Vogue. While she is often remembered for her 1990 Vogue interview (where she made the infamous statement, “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day”), Evangelista paved the way for supermodels to come.
Along with Campbell and Turlington, the three pushed for better wages and better opportunities for models. In 1996, VH1 recognised her talent with a Fashion Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.

After announcing her retirement in 1998, Evangelista returned to the cover of Vogue in September, 2001 and again in 2006. She can most recently be seen working for AIDS and breast cancer awareness charities, as well as on the cover of the Canadian magazine, Fashion.
Photos courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
