Current index status
#63 in the live index.
The rating reflects current verified work and prestige weighting. It is an editorial assessment, not a judgement of personal worth.
Index Rating · High confidence · evidence reviewed
83.2
- Runway · 40%
- 80
- Campaigns · 30%
- 90
- Editorial · 20%
- 75
- Cultural aura · 10%
- 92
01 / Why they matter
What Adriana is known for.
Marc Jacobs and global runway visibility
02 / Career record
Early life
Adriana Lima was born on 12 June 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, to social worker Maria das Graças Lima; her father, carpenter Nelson Torres, left the family when she was six months old. Her heritage spans Portuguese, Native Brazilian, African, Japanese, Swiss and West Indian ancestry, and she identifies as Afro-Brazilian. She won "Ford Supermodel of Brazil" at 15, then placed as runner-up in the 1996 Ford Models Supermodel of the World contest, moving to New York at 16 to sign with Elite Model Management.
03 / Career record
Runway debut and Victoria’s Secret, 1997–2000
Lima made her runway debut at Anna Sui’s New York show in September 1997, and her first magazine cover came with Marie Claire Brazil in September 1998. She first walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at 17 in 1999, becoming a full Angel in 2000 — a title she would hold for eighteen years, the longest tenure in the show’s history.
04 / Career record
Two decades as an Angel, 2000–2018
Across her Victoria’s Secret tenure, Lima opened the show in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, closed it in 2001, 2002 and at her 2018 farewell, and wore the Fantasy Bra in 2008, 2010 and 2014, missing only the 2009 show due to pregnancy. She fronted a solo Victoria’s Secret commercial during Super Bowl XLII in 2008, reaching an estimated 103.7 million viewers, and a Kia Optima advertisement during Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. Beyond Victoria’s Secret, she was the face of Maybelline from 2003 to 2009 (returning in 2014), became Desigual’s global ambassador in 2014, and appeared in the Pirelli Calendar in 2005 and again in 2013 — the first visibly pregnant model to be featured in the calendar. She unveiled a Madame Tussauds wax figure on 30 November 2015, the first Victoria’s Secret Angel given the honour, and was named the Daily Front Row’s Fashion Icon in March 2019.
05 / Career record
Recent record, 2023–2025
Lima retired from Victoria’s Secret on 8 November 2018 but returned for a fragrance campaign on 4 April 2023 and walked the brand’s "Tour ’23" runway event that September, followed by a further runway appearance in October 2024. She was named the Daily Front Row’s "Fashion Comeback of the Year" in April 2025, and married film producer Andre Lemmers on 17 December 2024. She is represented by The Society Management in New York and Elite Model Management across Paris, London and Milan.
06 / At a glance
Quick facts.
- —Born 12 June 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; won "Ford Supermodel of Brazil" at 15
- —The longest-serving Victoria’s Secret Angel, holding the title from 2000 to her farewell show on 8 November 2018
- —Wore the Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra in 2008, 2010 and 2014
- —Fronted a solo Victoria’s Secret Super Bowl commercial in 2008, reaching an estimated 103.7 million viewers
- —Became the first visibly pregnant model to appear in the Pirelli Calendar, in 2013
- —Unveiled a Madame Tussauds wax figure on 30 November 2015, the first Victoria’s Secret Angel to be honoured that way
07 / Current index evidence
Why is Adriana Lima ranked #63?
- Returned to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in October 2024 after a six-year hiatus, and walked again in 2025 for her 20th appearance.
- Headlined the Body by Victoria FlexFactor Balconette campaign, 2026.
Confidence: High confidence · evidence reviewed. Scores may change when a source is corrected or new work enters the current window.
Facts on this page are drawn from public work records and industry press, and summarised in our own words. This is an independent editorial profile — it is not endorsed by the subject, their agencies, or the brands named. Last reviewed 2026-07-14. Corrections: desk@thecastindex.com.