Isabeli Fontana Biography 

Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana got her start, like many models, with Victoria’s Secret. Unlike most models, however, her time with the company was marked by controversy. Launched by this unexpected exposure, Fontana went on to become an extremely versatile and well-known model. Her work spans from high fashion runway to commercial magazine spreads.

Isabeli Bergossi Fontana was born July 4, 1983 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Her parents are Antonio Carlos Fontana and Maribel Bergossi.

Her first foray into modeling came when she was just thirteen years old. In that year, she competed in Elite Model’s “Look Contest.” She made it all the way to the finals.

The year after this, she relocated from her hometown in Brazil all the way to the fashion capital of Milan, Italy. Her modeling began in earnest once she arrived in Milan.

By 1999, Fontana was sixteen years old and ready to make her debut with Victoria’s Secret. To that end, she appeared in their widely distributed lingerie catalogue. The spread sparked controversy, however, as Victoria’s Secret had been adamant in the past that it would not sign or feature models under twenty-one.

While the controversy may have caused some unwanted heat for the lingerie company, Fontana found herself thrust into the limelight. With her increased exposure, her career was ready to explode.

And explode is exactly what it did. She became the newest in demand model, and as such, she found work with Valentino, Donatella Versace, Ralph Lauren, and others.

On the magazine front, she subsequently appeared in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, ELLE, Marie Claire, and Vogue.

Reaching her widest audience through television, Fontana made her onscreen debut in 2003 with The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She appeared in the program again in 2005 and 2007.

During her three years strutting this catwalk, Fontana modeled beside some of the biggest names in the industry. This included Alessandra Ambrosio, Gisele Bundchen, Selita Ebanks, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, and others.

She also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show in 2005. She shared the screen with Mary J Blige.

In her personal life, Fontana’s first husband was Alvaro Jacomossi. They had one child together, a son named Zion, in 2003. Not being able to make the marriage work, however, the couple was divorced by 2004.

Fontana then married actor and model Henri Catelli. They wed on December 10, 2005 and welcomed their son, Lucas, on October 23, 2006.

This marriage has proved rocky for the Brazilian beauty as well, and they recently confirmed that they are indeed separating and intend to divorce.