Gisele Bundchen is the world’s top earning model. She was discovered in one of the small farms in Southern Brazil that was colonized mostly by Germans and Italians. Today in Rio Grande do Sul and two other states, more than 70% of the world’s models are found. Model hunters look for the same hybrid that will launch the next superstar.
Although Brazil has a majority of nonwhites, the tall, fair, and light eyed mix is the best sell to runways abroad. There is less racial segregation in the mainstream than there was 20 years ago, largely thanks to a booming Brazilian economy and a closing economic gap, yet still white girls are chosen more often for their looks. There are often discrimination reports in Sao Paolo about the lack of black and native girls picked to model, but scouts are sure of what sells.
Many of these girls are in high school or are even younger when they are chosen. If they don’t move to the city, they often stay with their families and work in the fields. Model scouts who wait for them to grow up caution against the perils of the sun by using sunscreen, and the tendency towards becoming overweight by eating fruits and vegetables.
