Gisele says Adeus to the Catwalk

Last week, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen bid a fond farewell to the catwalk as she retired from all runway modelling. The leggy mother of two, who began modelling at the tender age of 14, is now the richest model in the world with a huge fortune of $320 million and has an endless list of fashion contacts and friends. So why retire now? The saying 'quit while you're winning' comes to mind when talking about Gisele, as her current fame and fantastic career are clearly catastrophic, yet this savvy business woman knows when enough is enough, and now it seems is that time.

As Gisele made her final runway appearance at Sao Paulo fashion week, she posted on Instagram that, 'after 20 years in the industry, it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business.' As she strutted down the runway at Brazilian brand Colcci in a pair of denim jeans and a white tank top, her smile was radiant yet tinged with a hint of sadness as she received a standing ovation from the audience which included her parents and husband, Tom Brady. She started on the catwalk in Brazil and that’s where she has now finished her career.

Gisele, who famously dated Leonardo DiCaprio between 2000-2005, has modelled for absolutely everyone from H&M, Versace and Victoria's Secret to Dior, Givenchy and Stuart Weitzman. She was the face of Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel campaign last season and took pride of place amongst an army of her younger contemporaries for the spring/summer 2015 show; giving those ammeter models a run for their money. In regard, to her magazine covers...we would be here all day listing how many Gisele has appeared on, yet she will still continue to model in photo shoots, ad campaigns and magazines. Alas her presence on the catwalk will surely be missed.

What made Gisele so successful? It was her hair, that long, tumbling mass of blonde hair, which earned her the place amongst the fashion elite of beauty and causing women all over the world to drool with envy. Not to mention her genetically perfect body! Gisele is famous for her endless legs and confident catwalk stance as well as her killer beach body and perfect sun kissed tan. She is the first model to have cracked the fine line between celebrity/business woman/mother, and always managed to handle the press and her fame professionally – without controversy!

I've compiled a few images from her twenty years on the runway for you to reminisce over. Enjoy!