Ana Beatriz Barros

From Itabira to the Runways of the World

Ana Beatriz Barros never had to search for fame. Fame found her on a beach in Rio de Janeiro when she was just thirteen. Sergio Mattos, the director of Elite Model in Brazil, saw something in that teenager that the rest of the world would soon discover.

She won the Elite Model Look contest in her home country and placed second in the international edition in 1996. It marked the start of a career that quickly moved beyond Brazil's borders to conquer the world's fashion capitals.

And the leap was definitive.

She moved to New York with a determination rare for her age. Her features, a mix of German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish ancestry, allowed her to work for brands looking for a beauty that couldn't easily be categorized.

She signed her first major contract with Guess and soon became one of the most recognizable faces of the brand. But the real milestone came with her relationship with Victoria’s Secret, where she walked in six of its annual runway shows between 2002 and 2009.

The business behind the look

Many models are content to pose, but Barros understood that her name was a long-lasting commercial brand. In 2004, Jennifer Lopez personally chose her to be the face of his clothing line JLo by Jennifer Lopez, cementing her status beyond the world of haute couture.

She appeared in seven consecutive editions of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This media exposure allowed her to negotiate exclusive contracts with cosmetics giants such as L’Oréal.

Her ability to transform her look allowed her to work simultaneously for luxury brands such as Chanel and Valentino, as well as for mass-market retailers.

It wasn't a straight path to the top.

In 2010, she decided to slow down her work pace to be more selective about press and runway appearances. She chose to focus on perfume and jewelry campaigns, sectors that offer greater career longevity in an industry that often discards talent once models reach their thirties.

Privacy and life in Europe

Her wedding in 2016 to Egyptian businessman Karim El Chiaty on the island of Mykonos became one of the social events most covered by the specialized press. The celebration brought together the industry's elite and marked a change of residence, as she moved her base of operations to London.

Motherhood changed her professional priorities starting in 2017. Despite retirement rumors, Barros kept up occasional collaborations with renowned photographers and high-end accessory brands.

Because prestige matters more than volume of work.

In 2020, she took part in sustainable fashion projects, linking her image to environmental conservation causes in her native Brazil. Her presence at the Paris and Milan fashion weeks became that of a guest of honor or a model chosen to close specific runway shows.

Her net worth was estimated at 15 million dollars after more than two decades of uninterrupted activity in international markets.