Eva Herzigova is a Czech model who has achieved worldwide fame and belongs to the "major league" of supermodels of the 90s. She is best known for the scandalous advertisement for Wonderbra underwear.
Biography, childhood and adolescence
Eva Herzigova was born on March 10, 1973 in the city of Litvinov, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). Her father was an electrician, and her mother made a living working as a secretary. As a teenager, Eva loved sports, doing gymnastics, skiing and basketball.
Eva did not think about a career as a model, believing that her sister Lenka has the best data and has more chances. However, she gave up any attempts to become part of the fashion industry. When a beauty pageant was held in Prague in 1989, Eva ventured to apply and, to her surprise, won. This gave an impetus to the start of a modeling career.
The girl's parents supported her daughter, but also advised her to make a life plan in case her modeling career does not work out.
Model career
Winning the contests gave Herzigova the opportunity to start a modeling career. Gradually, they began to offer her a job more and more often, the famous modeling company Metropolitan Models signed a contract with her. They invited Eve to move to France, where the popularity of the aspiring model was much greater than in her native country.
Herzigova recalls her first photo session as “uncomfortable”. Having no experience in the modeling business, she simply did not understand what exactly was required of her. All she dreamed of at that moment was for the makeup artist and photographer to stop looking at her so intently. It is interesting that now Herzigova prefers to participate in photo shoots, and not in fashion shows. “I love photo shoots. I am alone, I am a queen, and everyone only cares about me."
In 1992, Herzigova signed a contract to advertise GUESS jeans. The photographer was the famous Ellen von Unwerth. When the advertisement appeared in print, Marie Claire magazine called Eva "the new Marilyn Monroe."
In 1994, Herzigova signed a two-year contract with the Wonderbra branded underwear. The ad slogans were "Hello boys" and "Look me in the eyes". This ad made her famous all over the world and raised her to the big leagues, putting her on a par with Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and other supermodels of the time. At the same time, advertisers and contributors have received massive criticism for objectifying women.
Nevertheless, despite the scandal, Herzigova appears on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines and works with world designers Louis Vuitton, Versace, Emilio Pucci and Giles Deacon.
The model has also appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimwear Special and has also been featured in the Victoria's Secret underwear catalog.
In 2003, the model sued the Canadian fashion company La Senza for refusing to pay for her photography. La Senza refused to pay the due amount due to the fact that before filming Herzigova cut her hair short.
In 2006, Eva Herzigova was chosen as the face of Venus for the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
In 2008, L'Oreal Cosmetics selected her for a TV commercial. Then she became the face of the women's perfume Dolce & Gabbana.
Eva continues her successful modeling career to this day, continuing to sign contracts with well-known international brands. In 2016, she took part in advertising campaigns for Giorgio Armani and Dior.
In 2018, Eva Herzigova appeared at the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show and on the covers of Vogue, L'Officiel Paris, Vanity Fair and many others.
Film career
Like many supermodels of the 90s, Eva Herzigova also dabbled in films. In an interview, Herzigova admitted that she dreamed of becoming an actress since childhood. “From my very youth, I dreamed of cinema. You can't be a model if you're 60, but you can be an actress."
At various times, she appeared in the films Inferno (1992), Between an Angel and a Devil (Les anges gardiens, 1995) and Swap Wives (My Best Friend's Wife, 1998). Then Stanley Kubrick offered her the lead role in the film Eyes Wide Shut, but Herzigova refused because of the excessive number of nude scenes.
In 2000, she played the role of Christine in the film Just for the Time Being (2000). This role earned her the Best Actress Jury Award at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival.
In 2004, in the film Modigliani, Eva Herzigova played one of the main roles of Olga Picasso.
In 2013, Eva Herzigova starred in the thriller Cha cha cha, and the following year in the film Storyteller.
Personal life and family
Eva's active professional life left her little time for her personal life. The first husband of the model in 1996 was the musician Tico Torres, drummer of the "Bon Jovi" band. The couple signed in New Jersey, the bride appeared in a chic wedding dress from John Galliano. “I always dreamed that I would look like a princess at my wedding, and now my dream has come true,” said the model. However, the marriage did not last long: the couple divorced after just 2 years.
After that, the press attributed to Eva Herzigova a relationship with actor Leonarodo DiCaprio, but this romance was never confirmed. Also, at various times, she had connections with businessman Guy Ozeri and model Kelly Rippi.
The second husband of Eva Herzigova, Gregorio Marciai, is an Italian businessman. The couple met in 2001. Their first child, George, was born on June 1, 2007 in Turin. Philip was born on March 13, 2011, and Edward was born in April 2013.
After the birth of her first child, Eva Herzigova is an active environmentalist.
Eva Herzigova speaks fluently Czech, Russian, English and French. She is interested in pottery, horse riding and adores her Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
