6 Years Before Marrying Tom Brady, Vintage Photo Unveils Supermodel Gisele Bündchen’s Treasured Family Bond

43-year-old Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen is enjoying life and great success right now. She has expressed herself as being nothing like her supermodel persona and is delighted at finally being able to be her true self.

An interesting story covered in the Vogue Paris December 2002/January 2003 issue featuring Bündchen through the lenses of Mario Testino resurfaced which juxtaposed skilfully a topless series of the supermodel amid rare images from supermodel’s “family album.” The pictures appeared with sidenotes quoting her on personal insights from her life growing up in a small town in southern Brazil, throwing into sharper relief the contours of her true self. 

A sneak peek into the Bündchen’s family album

“My mother, Vania, has always transformed every moment of our family life into a small event. For the slightest outing, party or meeting, she made us look pretty and wanted a photo. (originally in French), ” said the sidenote quoting Bündchen on a family portrait of the Bündchens taken in their home in Horizontina, a very small town in southern Brazil, featured in the 2003 Paris Vogue issue, amongst other unseen pictures. “So, my father Valdir would push the sofa close to the living room door and we would press against each other in front of the green plant,” the note continued. 

The picture depicted a three-year-old Gisele Bündchen along with her five siblings, “Hya Fold” (Graziela), “Gabi” (Gabriela),  her twin “Pati” (Patrizia), and “Raqui” (Raquel), huddled around their parents, all dressed in pristine white,

The supermodel and mother of two harbors strong familial bonds and has often spoken about her parent’s successful marriage and how he had “hoped” and “dreamed” of the same in her life, “My parents have been married for 50 years, and I really wanted that to happen.” She also enjoys living in Miami after her separation from NFL legend Tom Brady, since it brings her close to her hometown in Brazil, and allows her sisters to visit her and her children more often. The supermodel who is Cancerian reveals her thoughts on her family and how growing up the way she did made her into the global sensation that she is today. 

“I owe them what I am” Bündchen credits her success to her family 

The “Family Album” story in the Vogue Paris December 2002/January 2003 issue also featured two baby pictures of the runway legend. One that depicted her nine-year-old self-portrait playing with a doll, dressed in a right yellow dungaree and white jumper, complete with two adorable ponytails and a fresh fringe bore a sidenote from Bündchen saying, “I play with a Chucha in the kitchen. It is in this house in Horizontina, a very small town in southern Brazil, that I spend all my Christmases.” She spoke about how elaborate a ritual used to be, which included making the terr, decorating the house, hanging socks on the fireplace, preparing turkey, and how her grandmother would bake cakes. 

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A second photo depicts her at the adorable age of two years old. The sidenote encapsulated the essence of her childhood where she recalls being curious about everything and sharing beds with her little twin sister Patrizia.

Bündchen reveals that even though their living conditions were simple. Her father was able to provide her with everything. “My sisters and I know how to cook and sew,” she remained self-sufficient from a very young age and remains very “proud of the education we received. I owe them what I am.”

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