By Marcellous L. JONES


Supermodel Carla Bruni was born on December 23, 1968 in Turin, Italy. Her mother was a pianist and her adoptive father, ran one of the largest Italian companies. An heiress, she is a member of the Agnelli family.

Her parents, Carla, her brother and sister – the actress, Valeria Bruni-Tedesch – exiled themselves to France due to the tense political situation involving the Red Brigade, which reigned in Italy during the 1970’s. From the age of five, she grew up between Paris and Cap Negre. She also attended boarding school in Switzerland.

After boarding school, Carla returned to Paris where she studied art and architecture at the University of Paris. Up until that point, nothing had ever suggested that Carla would be interested in having a career in music. She was rich and cultivated; and as heiress to an Italian tire manufacturing fortune, she did not need to work.

Carla’s beauty is singular. Her enigmatic and mysterious face is unique. It has even been said that her perfect facial structure bears a remarkable resemblance to the famous sculpture of Nefertiti.

At 19, Carla Bruni signed with City Models and her career began. Her career took on new speed when Paul Marciano, the President and Creative Director of GUESS? Inc., came across her picture in among a stack of composite cards of aspiring models. Thanks to him, she soon found herself modelling with Estelle Hallyday in ad campaigns for Guess? Jeans.

She hit the European runways and worked for the biggest of designers and fashion houses including Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne, Sonia Rykiel, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Yves Saint-Laurent, Chanel, Versace, etc.

That same year, she played herself in Richard Leacock’s film, Catwalk. As the hot girl on the town, she became friends with Linda Evangelista, Naomie Campbell and Karen Mudler, who also became her best friend. And by 1988, she was among the 20 highest-paid fashion models, earning $7.5 million a year. ...

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