DKNY Girl

Background:

“I wanted to be a criminologist, (but) my mom was always telling me that I should be a model.” Esther Cañadas

Spanish supermodel and actress Esther Cañadas is very familiar among society’s elite as member of first class jet-setters in the world, but she has not yet converted her eminence onto the mainstream audience in the way Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer have. She burst onto the fashion scene in 1996, when she arrived in New York, and is perhaps best known for her appearances in DKNY ad campaigns. The blue-eyed, dark blonde-haired model received further recognition with her appearance as an actress in the Pierce Brosnan-Rene Russo vehicle The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).

When she is not walking down the catwalk, appearing in advertisements, jet setting to the world’s fashion capitals or acting in films, Cañadas finds herself involving in charity events. As for her love life, the 5-foot-10-inch model was married to Dutch model Mark Vanderloo from June 1999 to November 2000. She is now dating MotoGP rider Sete Gibernau.


Criminologist

Childhood and Family:

In Alicante, Costa Blanca, Spain, Esther Cañadas was born on March 1, 1977. She was inspired to become a criminologist, but after much influencing by her mother, she began modeling while still in school.

On June 12, 1999, Esther was married to Dutch model Mark Vanderloo, whom she met on the set of a Donna Karan advertising shoot in 1997. The marriage ended in separation in November 2000. Esther adopted a daughter in January 2004.


The Thomas Crown Affair

Career:

Originally wanting to pursue a career as a criminologist, 14-year-old Esther Cañadas tried her hand in modeling, after much persuading by her mother. She became the winner of a local contest and, soon afterward, penned her first deal with the Take 2 Agency. The Spanish girl represented her country in a model search and was sent to South Africa. Next, she relocated to Barcelona on her own to start working.

After finally realizing that modeling was her true calling, Cañadas headed to New York in 1996 to further pursue her career. Within two days, she was booked by a number of designers, and her modeling career took flight from then on. A natural beauty, she graced the cover of many major publications a year later, such as Marie Claire Italy, Elle Spain, Mademoiselle, Vogue Spain and Mondo Uomo.

Cañadas has starred in countless advertisements like Victoria’s Secret, J Crew, Saks Fifth Avenue, Mossimo and Atelier Versace. However, she did not gain her real prominence until she appeared in DKNY commercials. The sexy model has received additional popularity by strutting down the runways at numerous designers fashion shows, including shows for DKNY, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, D&G, Richard Tyler, Giorgio Armani, Todd Oldham, Valentino, Givenchy, and Versace.

The successful model has branched out into acting. She made her auspicious debut in 1999 with a supporting part in The Thomas Crown Affair, a action/romance film starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. She appeared as Esther the next year in the made-for-TV film Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble, starring Jane Seymour. She went on to have roles in Spanish productions, Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella (2001), which directed by and starring Santiago Segura, a cult icon in Spain, and Trileros (2003), a comedy jointly written by Eduardo Mallorquí and Antonio del Real.


Awards:
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