Jessica Stam

Jessica Stam's supermodel career path forces you to believe in modern fairy tales, the ones that tell about open castings, first place on the catwalks, dizzying ascension to stardom and heavenly beauty...

Stam comes from a very pious Canadian family. She grew up surrounded by her 6 bothers on the family farm. She had no idea of her beauty and later said that the boys in school ignored her, giving her no reason to think she was pretty.

It was during a trip to an amusement park that her destiny changed. She was taking a break in a coffee shop when Michele Miller, a famous headhunter, noticed her. She was 16 at the time and dreamt of becoming dentist - modeling was a career she had never considered.

Despite the fact that her hair was in such horrible condition due to bad dye jobs that it should have been be shaved off, Miller offered to take her to Los Angeles. Against all expectations, her family encouraged her. In 2002, she won the Los Angeles Model Look Search.

The same year, Steven Meisel, the famous photographer, discovered the young Canadian and fell under her charm. She appeared in all his campaigns and accompanied him around the world. They worked together for Versace and Prada, as well as for the covers of Vogue U.S. and Italy.

Stam discovered the world of art and cinema thanks to Meisel, who became her mentor and shared with her his passions. She said, "If you work with him, you learn what he is learning, you discover what he is discovering..."

In 2004, Tony Scott chose her to make a mini film for Amazon.com. Her face began to be recognized, but it was not until 2005 when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Germany that her career took off.

Despite her young age, Stam has shown great maturity regarding her career. On the risks of her job, she said, "In this business, you are judged by your physique and it is easy to take the criticisms personally. But it is just appearance that is judged and not the whole person. If you don't know the difference, you could be destroyed."

Stam is one of the most-booked models: she was casted for Anna Sui, Vera Wang, Atsuro Tayama, Cerruti Jeans, Valentino, Miu Miu, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Holt Renfrew, BCBG, and Banila B. Marc Jacobs even dedicated the Stam bag to her. In 2006, she walked for the biggest names in fashion, and became the face of Armani, Sonia Rykiel and Rochas. In 2007, she will be in the Dior fall-winter 2007-2008 campaign.

Other miscellaneous facts about Jessica Stam:

• She is addicted to iced tea, adores hanging out in Starbuck's and cannot stand the hordes of tourists that regularly invade Greenwich Village
• Whenever she is at home (New York's East Village), she loves eating a huge plate of truffle macaroni
• Her favorite New Yorker is the hero of American Psycho
• Despite her job, she tries to sleep 8 hours per night
• Her favorite jeans are Trash & Vaudeville
• Her heart is not up for grabs: after dating Harrison Ford's son, followed by the singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, she is now with Nicole Richie's ex, Adam Goldstein
• She would like to see Oprah become president of the U.S. (no comment)
• She is a Yankees fan and reads the New York Post when she has the time
• Her beauty may be incontestable, but her style leaves something to be desired; all she needs to do is steal a few good ides from the catwalks or hire a personal stylist.