“I Flew Back”: Years Before Tom Brady Divorce, Gisele Bündchen Named Three People and a Beautiful City That Transformed Her Career

The end of a 13-year marriage with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady couldn’t have been a smooth transition for 42-year-old Gisele Bündchen. However, it wasn’t the first time that the Brazilian bombshell was experiencing life-changing hardships. Gisele’s road to ‘Queen Gisele’ was ridden with a few monumental hurdles as well. But, according to the model, what are the things which helped her in building her career?

For over a quarter of a century, Bündchen has stayed on the mountaintop of the fashion industry. However, it could have all gone in a different direction had it not been for some extremely special acquaintances and a very special city, New York.

Gisele Bündchen had a traumatic fashion breakthrough

An almost-eighteen Gisele Bündchen’s whole life turned upside down when she got her first international ramp walk call. And it was none other than the iconic Alexander McQueen, who called for her services at his spring 1998 Golden Shower fashion show in London.

ALSO READ: “We Were Hangers”: Tom Brady’s Lost Love Gisele Bündchen Was Forced To ‘Stand Naked’ When She Was 15

“He was seen as a genius, the best, most innovative designer of his time. The industry considered him a visionary,” Gisele recounted in her 2018 book, ‘Lessons: My Path To A Meaningful Life’. A lot of the major industry professionals and photographers were also in the audience. One moment, Gisele wasn’t taking her manager’s hype seriously. And the next moment, she was walking down the ramp, topless in a fishtail skirt, in the rain. And Bündchen sure did make an impression.

However, Gisele had no idea about the topless aspect, adding to her shock when the producers handed her the skirt. But it worked as she stood out from the rest of the “heroin-chic” models. “The industry was ready for a change. It was the right time, and that night I was the right model,” Bündchen wrote.

Bündchen didn’t find peace until she reached the Big Apple and made some new friends

That rainy tear-filled 1998 London night changed Gisele Bündchen’s life forever as her phones never stopped ringing. McQueen crowned her as ‘The Body’ after the show, while the fans and the spectators dubbed her “the girl of the moment.” Gisele had multiple work commitments lined up after this night, including international gigs in Milan and Paris. However, there were still many who criticized the Brazilian’s ferocity and timidness.

However, everything changed when she arrived in New York City. “Some people still felt free to criticize me to my face. I flew back to New York, where a handful of people appeared in my life who would be instrumental in my career,” she mentioned in her book. These instrumental sources of support were fashion photographers Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier, and Steven Meisel. Testino booked Gisele for French Vogue, while Patrick got her into Harper’s Bazaar. And Meisel was Gisele’s modeling tutor and mentor.

WATCH THIS STORY: Gisele Bundchen’s secret weapon for thriving after Tom Brady divorce

Bündchen also mentioned Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, who was the first to put Gisele on the cover of the iconic fashion magazine. And with such a diverse experience while rising to the top, it was no surprise to see Gisele display similar composure as she recently made her fashion comeback after her divorce.