Marisa Miller — Biography

Marisa Miller is a prominent supermodel based in Santa Cruz, California, recognized particularly for her athletic pursuits and passion for surfing. Growing up with two younger sisters, she attended both Aptos High and Monte Vista Christian School. During her youth, Miller identified as a tomboy, maintaining predominantly male friendships and showing minimal interest in traditionally feminine pursuits. She was notably self-conscious about her appearance, frequently donning oversized shirts to conceal her physique and would fully dress before taking out the garbage at the beach despite her shyness. At sixteen, two Italian modeling agents approached her while she was in a San Francisco café. Following a conversation with her mother, the two traveled to Italy together within several months, an unexpected move given Miller's reserved and conservative demeanor. During the 1990s, fashion modeling favored an androgynous aesthetic that Miller believed did not suit her curvy build and shorter stature. Her breakthrough came in 1997 with a nude spread in Perfect 10 magazine's inaugural issue. Though she placed third in that magazine's inaugural model competition, behind Ashley Degenford and Monica Hansen, she subsequently became a regular fixture, gracing the covers of the Winter 1998 and August/September 1999 issues, plus a reissued Fall 2004 cover. After meeting renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino in 2001, Miller transitioned into prestigious mainstream modeling, contributing to editorials in American and Italian Vogue. Beginning in 2002, she joined Victoria's Secret and started appearing in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue annually through 2008, becoming particularly famous for a 2007 photograph wearing exclusively an iPod. Her image has graced numerous publications including GQ, Maxim, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, and Vanity Fair. She has modeled for prominent brands including Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Andrew Marc, Victoria's Secret, J.Crew, Guess, Nordstrom, Bath & Body Works, and True Religion. Her first Victoria's Secret television advertisement aired in 2007 featuring her alongside Heidi Klum promoting the It bra. Miller made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut on December 4, 2007, and participated in the subsequent year's show. Additional runway appearances included 2007's Fashion for Relief benefiting Hurricane Katrina victims, MTV's Fashionably Loud, Imitation of Christ, Inca, and Amir Slama's Rosa Cha. The February 12, 2008, Late Show with David Letterman episode unveiled via a three-story New York City billboard that Miller would grace that year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover. The simultaneous online release generated record traffic to the Sports