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Background:
"I'm always watching my weight. I don't eat sweets like cookies or chocolate.
Sugarless chewing gum is enough for me. But bread is different .I come from
Czechoslovakia, where we eat lots of it, so it's hard to say no. I can't even
have one piece, because when I start, I don't stop. For exercise, I now run with
my chocolate Lab puppy, Oscar." Daniela Pestova
Czech supermodel Daniela Pestova has fascinated many with her eye-catching
European beauty and was launched to the top ranks of supermodels after her cover
for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (1995 and 1999). The lanky blonde
beauty also gathered recognition for her pictures in Victoria's Secret and as
the spokesmodel for the renowned cosmetics and perfume company L'Oreal.
Pestova's solid modeling career further established by gracing the covers of
numerous high-profile fashion magazines, including Elle, Cosmopolitan, Self,
Glamour, GQ, Shape, Cleo, Marie Claire, among others. Besides, Pestova has
modeled for such companies as J.Crew, Sak's Fifth Avenue and Guess?.
Off screen, Daniela Pestova reportedly earned $12,000 a day and $2,000,000 a
year. As for her romantic life, she is married to Tomasso Buti, an ex- CEO of
the whirling Fashion Café, but, they got divorce after several years of
marriage. Pestova and Buti has one son named Yannick Fausto (born in 1996).
Following the separation, she began a new relationship with Slovak singer Pavol
Habera, with whom Pestova shares daughter Ella.
Chameleon
Childhood and Family:
On October 14, 1970, Daniela Pestova was born in Teplice, Czech Republic. As a
child, she wished to make a few of her dreams come true. Fortunately, Danielle
came from an upper class family that she could make it though she grew up in the
midst of political bedlam. After high school, Daniela had plans of attending
collage and majoring in Education. However, she soon turned her attention to
modeling career after Dominique Caffin of the Madison Modeling agency spotted
this 19-year-old girl while going into a theater. After becoming the winner of a
modeling contest, Daniela headed for Paris to pursue career more professionally.
Daniela once married the Italian CEO of the Fashion Café Tommaso Buti, but they
filed for divorce in 1999. Three years before the split, in 1996, the couple
welcomed their first son, Yannick Fausto. Daniela also shares a daughter named
Ella with her lover Slovak singer Pavol Habera. When not working, Daniela, who
is nicknamed Chameleon because of her changing looks, enjoys walking on the
beach (especially when it's empty and cold) with her two Jack Russell terrier
dogs, Tino and Soda, and spending time with her children.
Victoria's Secret
Career:
Originally planning to attend collage for a degree in Education, Daniela Pestova,
who once took a job as a mail carter in Czechoslovakia, began her modeling
career at age 19 after being discovered by the Madison Modeling Agency's
Dominique Caffin in Prague. At his suggestion, Pestova then entered a modeling
contest and, with her 5'11" tall and beauty, she ended up being the winner of
the competition. Lured by the success, Pestova flew to Paris and signed up with
Dominique's modeling agency.
Pestova's first brush towards fame immediately arrived when Paul Marciano, the
president and creative director of Guess? Inc. hired the blond-haired beauty as
the new Guess? Girl in 1990. Shot by the renowned llen Von Unwerth in Morocco,
opposite Claudia Schiffer, Pestova took part in some of the most excellent
Guess? advertising campaigns in the history of the company.
Despite inability to speak English (but she is fluent in Italian, Russian,
French and Czech), Pestova made a decision to relocate to New York two years
later. Her raising status further confirmed as Pestova's exotic look graced on
the covers of such foremost fashion magazines as Cosmopolitan, Elle, Self,
Shape, Marie Claire, Cleo and Glamour. She was next widely recognized as the
spokesperson and print model for the noted cosmetics company L'Oreal after she
inked the huge contract in 1994. 1994 also marked the beginning of her
long-running connection with Victoria's Secret, in which she once modeled with
Frederique van der Wal. She later also appeared on the advertising campaigns for
such companies as J.Crew and Sak's Fifth Avenue.
The following year, Pestova landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
cover shot for the first time. Three years later, in 1998, she won much more
attention for her second appearance on the Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue
that led Pestova guest starred in a number of talk shows, including The Late
Show With Craig Kilborn and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On this Sports
Illustrated's cover, Pestova was featured wearing a tiny metallic bikini bottom
and strings of beads over her breasts and it was for the first time included 3-D
glasses to get a more realistic view of the beauties. Some of her fellow Sports
Illustrated models include Elsa Benitez, Heidi Klum, Molly Sims and Yamila Diaz.
Still in 1998, Pestova did a nude pose for GC magazine. With her popularity,
Pestova also earned offers to break Hollywood screen, but she reportedly
declined the role of a hard-partying model in a Woody Allen film since she
wasn't happy with the image it projected, which is an image totally contrasting
Daniela herself.
In 1999, Pestova also had an inverted career when she and some other models ran
off from Elite to join the Donald Trump created Trump Management. Many critics
have ridiculed that Trump formed the organization as more of a plaque than a
business, as many have said he paid Pestova, Elsa Benitez and others double what
they were worth to get them to leave the highly regarded Elite organization.
When her modeling career is over, the blue-eyed beauty has plans to become a
translator and spend her time having more kids. However, Pestova still has
numerous modeling contracts which include her own annual swimsuit calendar and
an enduring deal with fashion design house Escada.
Awards:
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