The tomboy-turned-Tom Ford model was discovered in a flea market at the age of 15 and has since graced the cover of Italian Vogue and worked with industry juggernauts Mario Testino, Steven Meisel and Karl Lagerfeld.
With a number of highly coveted campaigns already under her belt including Versace and Guess, Swanepoel is forging her career from her base in New York where she lives with her dog Luna.
Candice Swanepoel was born on October 20, 1988 in a South African village named Mooi River.
She attended an all-girls boarding school before she was discovered by a model scout at a local flea market when she was 15.
After working in Milan, London and Paris for two years, Swanepoel moved to New York at the age of 18 and was discovered by Victoria’s Secret soon thereafter.
In the midst of a whirlwind modelling career, Swanepoel looks to her carefree childhood to keep her grounded - “I grew up close to animals and nature, the Zulu culture, and basically everything was an adventure. My memories of my childhood are so sacred to me”.
Career highs serving to make her one of the most sought-after names in the business include shooting the cover of Italian Vogue with Steven Meisel, starring in Tom Ford’s Fall 2011 campaign, shooting couture with Karl Lagerfeld and working with Terry Richardson and Carine Roitfeld.
Despite her high profile, Swanepoel has remained with her teenage sweetheart, Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli since the age of 17.
