South African model Candice Swanepoel is best known for her work as a Victoria’s Secret angel, but has been dominating the fashion industry for years. The blonde bombshell is more than just a pretty face, however, and is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the industry. Here are 12 things you didn’t know about supermodel Candice Swanepoel.
She was a tomboy as a child
Growing up on a dairy farm in Mooi River, South Africa, Swanepoel says she was a tomboy who was more focused on doing her chores than on her looks, or anything related to modeling.
Swanepoel was discovered by a model scout at 15
Swanepoel was at a flea market in Durban at the age of 15 when she was spotted by a model scout. After being discovered, she moved from her farm in South Africa to Paris, where her career quickly took off. Within her first year in the business, she appeared in Italian “Vogue” and was already walking on the catwalk.
She speaks English, Afrikaans, and Portuguese
Swanepoel was born to an Afrikaner family, allowing her the opportunity to learn to speak both English and Afrikaans fluently from a young age. She has dated Hermann Nicoli, a Brazilian model, since they met in Paris when she was 17. He taught her to speak Portuguese.
Swanepoel wanted to be a ballet dancer growing up
In an interview, Swanepoel said, “I was a ballet dancer growing up and that’s what I was convinced I would be. I was very skinny, braces; so I never thought I would be a model.” She has spoken about her dreams of moving to New York to attend ballet school.
She has appeared on the cover of “Vogue” in eight countries
Throughout the course of her career, Swanepoel has graced the cover of the Australian, Brazilian, Mexican, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Italian editions of “Vogue.” She has also been on the covers of international editions of “Elle,” “GQ,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” and more.