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More than a few jaws dropped when Alessandra Ambrosio returned to the ramp for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show barely three months after giving birth in August 2008.

The model who has been associated with the lingerie brand since 2000 started her career when she was barely 15 years old. After winning the Elite Model Look in Brazil, she went on to appear on the cover of the Brazilian Elle Magazine.

Image: Model Alessandra Ambrosio poses during a media opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Victoria's Secret swim catalogue in Los Angeles
Photographs: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Since then she has been featured on over 50 international magazines including GQ, Vogue and Marie Claire among others.

Ambrosio has been associated with Rolex, Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Revlon, Gucci, Escada, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren and has walked for top designer brands including Giorgio Armani, Byblos, Shiatzy Chen, Christian Lacroix, Laura Biagiotti, Fendi, Prada, Issey Miyake, Kenzo, Christian Dior, Nicole Miller, Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood.

Image: Victoria's Secret supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio (L) and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley pose for photographers during the Celebrate the Body by Victoria Collection news conference in New York
Photographs: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The model also has her swimwear line, Alessandra Ambrosio by Sais which sold 10,000 units in its first month on the market when it was first launched in 2004.

Brazil-born Ambrosio in an interview said that she knew she wanted to become a model when she saw a picture of model Karen Mulder in a magazine.

Over 20 years later, Ambrosio has emerged as one of the biggest names in the fashion industry and one of the richest models in the business.

She was recently spotted in St Barts in the Caribbean shooting a catalogue for Victoria's Secret last weekend.

Image: Models Miranda Kerr (L), Candice Swanepoel (C) and Alessandra Ambrosio pose during a media opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Victoria's Secret swim catalogue in Los Angeles
Photographs: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni