Raquel Zimmermann

Raquel Cristina Zimmermann is a Brazilian supermodel born on July 6, 1983, in Bom Retiro do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She is best known for her extensive international modeling career, which includes appearing on the covers of major fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle, walking for luxury fashion houses, and appearing in prominent global advertising campaigns.

Zimmermann is a descendant of German immigrants from Bavaria who settled in Brazil during the 1800s. Outside of her fashion career, she is known to practice Transcendental Meditation. She began modeling at a young age, taking part in local editorials and runway shows in Brazil during the late 1990s before expanding to the international market.

Zimmermann achieved her international breakthrough in the early 2000s. A major milestone occurred in September 2000 when she was featured on the cover of Vogue Italia, followed by the cover of Vogue Paris later that year. These appearances established her global profile, leading her to walk fashion runways in New York, Milan, London, and Paris, as well as front campaigns for fashion houses such as Dior and Hermès.

By the mid-2000s, Zimmermann had become one of the most sought-after models in the fashion industry. She worked with brands including Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Versace, and featured in magazines such as W, Elle, and Numéro. In May 2007, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue's "World's Next Top Models" issue alongside models including Lily Donaldson, Doutzen Kroes, and Caroline Trentini. That same year, she starred in a David Lynch-directed television commercial for the fragrance Gucci by Gucci.

During the late 2000s, Zimmermann received widespread recognition within the industry. In 2008, casting agent James Scully referred to her as "the energizer model," praising her versatility, professionalism, and timeliness. She was ranked number one on Models.com's Top 50 Models list from December 2007 to February 2010. In 2009, Vogue Paris named her one of the top 30 models of the decade.

Throughout the 2010s, Zimmermann maintained a prominent career, landing solo covers for international editions of Vogue, including Vogue Brazil and Vogue Italia. In 2011, she featured in the music video for Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way." She was photographed by Steven Meisel for the 2015 Pirelli Calendar alongside models Gigi Hadid, Isabeli Fontana, and Adriana Lima, starred in the Versace Spring/Summer 2016 campaign, and was named a Revlon ambassador in 2018.

In her personal life, Zimmermann was in a long-term relationship with Spanish photographer Ruy Sánchez Blanco, with whom she resided in New York City prior to their mutual and amicable separation.