The World's Highest-Paid Models 2015: Gisele Leads, Kendall Joins

Supermodels have won the genetic lottery, and for the very best, it’s a lucrative sweepstake. Take Gisele Bundchen, who by our estimation banked $44 million before taxes and expenses between June 2014 and June 2015.

The Brazilian out-earned second-ranked Cara Delevingne and Adriana Lima ($9 million each) by $35 million in the period for our ranking, making nearly five times quarterback husband Tom Brady’s estimated $9 million payday over the same span.
Though reports swirled that Gisele was retiring from the runway, the 35-year-old’s earnings have not been significantly dented, down just 6% from 2014. The blond bombshell, who has made more money than any other model since 2002, continues to clock lucrative beauty and fragrance contracts with Chanel and Carolina Herrera, supplementing those moneymakers with an Under Armour advertisement that pictured her attacking a punching bag while social media commentary blared in the background, among others. Gisele has successfully turned herself into a brand: She gets a cut of sales from the jelly sandals she designs for Brazilian shoemaker Grendene, while her line of Hope lingerie–Gisele Bundchen Intimates–also plumps up her paycheck.

Fellow Brazilian Lima may not design her own underwear, but she is the longest-running Victoria’s Secret Angel in the brand’s history. She clocks her largest payday ever this time thanks to recent supplementary deals with Maybelline and Vogue Eyewear, and a Kia commercial that aired during this year’s Super Bowl.
Our list tracks pretax earnings for women who make the majority of their income modeling, rather than acting, presenting or singing. We looked at income from cosmetics and fragrance contracts, advertising, endorsements and other ventures. Earnings are tabulated from June 2014 to June 2015 and based on interviews with numerous managers, agents and brand executive; management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted.

Cara Delevingne only joined the Highest-Paid Models ranking in 2014 but she has already skyrocketed to the top thanks to a busy 12 months of posing, acting–and Instagramming. Her earnings increased 61% to $9 million from June 2014 to June 2015 since appearing in campaigns for 13 different brands, including DKNY, Topshop and YSL beauty. Cara Delevingne is now pivoting from the page to the multiplex, starring in a spate of films including the recent John Green adaptation Paper Towns.

“We’re getting to a point where image visibility is more potent–it’s not just the money you earn,” 

explains Ivan Bart, President at IMG Models. With 19 million Instagram followers and 3.7 million Twitter followers, Delevingne is one of the most prominent models on social media, bested only by newcomer Kendall Jenner, who joins the ranking at No. 16 with an estimated $4 million in earnings–and 36.4 million Instagram followers.

“Kendall’s generation is more influenced by digital media than television, magazines or any other forms of advertising,” agrees Chris Gay, general manager of The Society Management, which represents Jenner. Indeed, Jenner’s following–58 million fans across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook combined–ensures any campaigns she appears in reach millions more, making her a smart bet for the likes of Estée Lauder, Calvin Klein and Karl Lagerfeld eyewear.
It also helps to be part of Taylor Swift’s much-publicized girl gang, which includes Jenner, Delevingne and Karlie Kloss (tied at No. 8; $5 million). Though Kloss is no longer a Victoria’s Secret Angel, having turned in her wings earlier this year, the 23-year-old is flush from deals with L’Oréal, Joe Fresh and Kate Spade.

Rounding out the top five is Dutch powerhouse Doutzen Kroes (No. 4; $7.5 million) and Russian Natalia Vodianova (No. 5; $7 million). Former Victoria’s Secret model Kroes still makes a pretty penny from a lucrative L’Oréal cosmetics contract, Tiffany & Co. deal and a steamy Calvin Klein fragrance ad. Alongside Geurlain and Etam deals, Vodianova spritzes for two fragrances: Calvin Klein Euphoria, which she first sprayed on in 2006, and Guerlain Shalimar Souffle de Parfum. Her earnings jumped to $7 million from $4 million in 2014.
This year, the world’s 21 highest-paid models earned a combined $147 million pretax between June 2014 and June 2015.

 Kate Moss is the only model in this year’s ranking who featured in FORBES’ first-ever Celebrity 100 list back in 1999, alongside four other models–Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Niki Taylor. In 2015, the 41-year-old Brit earned an estimated $4.5 million from a 14-year-long deal with Rimmel cosmetics, plus campaigns for David Yurman and Decorté skincare.

Besides Jenner, the only newcomer is Lithuanian model Edita Vilkeviciute who joins the list tied at No. 17 thanks to fragrance contracts with Roberto Cavalli and Viktor & Rolf, plus Calvin Klein and H&M ads. Among the near-misses for this year’s ranking were Guess and Maybelline model Gigi Hadid, plus Victoria Secret models Elsa Hosk, Martha Hunt, Behati Prinsloo and Jasmine Tookes, who earned just below this year’s $3.5 million cut-off.
Save for Joan Smalls, Liu Wen and Jourdan Dunn, our list of the 21 highest-paid models is overwhelmingly white, reflecting the lack of diversity on catwalks and in campaigns. A recent survey by FashionSpot, which examined 460 fall 2015 print ads, found that nearly 85% of the models featured are white, while Asian models comprised about 6.2%, black models made up 4.4% and Latina models accounted for 1.7% of those featured.
Bundchen alone has earned $430 million from modeling since 2001. Still, her highly paid cohort are very much the minority elite–models are rarely paid for editorial shoots or catwalk appearances, while gigs with prestigious design houses don’t pay much but give models exposure they can leverage.

(MSN)


Maybe, i wee join this modelling. is it not to pose and snap picture? Ehn???