Gisele Bündchen is a high-powered supermodel who’s unafraid to show a little (or a lot of) skin, but that hasn’t always been the case. She revealed in her new book Lessons: My Path To A Meaningful Life that when she got her big break in an Alexander McQueen show in 1998, she almost ran away because the designer wanted her to walk topless! Instead, a thoughtful makeup artist stepped in and saved the day — and fake rain covered her tears. Click through the gallery for all the info and to see the photos of Gisele topless!
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![Gisele Bundchen Topless Photoshoot](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Gisele, 38, talked about what it was like getting her big break at 18 in the McQueen show. She spoke "limited" English and "couldn't believe" she'd been casted in such a big international show.
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![The Victoria Secrets Fashion Show - Show Gisele Bundchen Young](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: INSTARImages
But once she saw her outfits, she freaked out. They put her in a black wig and heavy eye liner. Two of her three looks were fine — a silver bathing suit and a dress. But the third was a fishtail skirt — with no top. She began to cry, thinking of how "disappointed and embarrassed" her parents would be when they saw the show.
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![Alexander McQueen - Runway - Spring Summer 1998 Gisele Bundchen Topless Young](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: Getty Images
But an assistant named Val rescued her by painting on a white top. "Val told me how beautiful it looked and said that the runway was so dark nobody would know," Gisele wrote. And since there was "rain" falling on the runway, her tears were disguised.
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![Gisele Bundchen Rio Fashion 2007](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: INSTARImages
"No one could tell what was rain and what was tears," the former Victoria Secret's Angel wrote.
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![Victoria Secret Fashion Show Gisele Bundchen Young](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: INSTARImages
"If Val hadn't shown up then, I seriously doubt I could have walked the runway," the mom of two explained. The 1998 McQueen show was her breakout moment, launching her career. "It turned out that walking in Alexander McQueen's show was the beginning of my international career."
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![Givenchy: Runway - Paris Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2012 Gisele Bundchen 2011](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: INSTARImages
"I was a good girl. I was a tomboy. I was someone whose big breasts had embarrassed her since she'd hit puberty. I was a girl gripped by the fear that my family would feel so embarrassed they would never speak to me again. I was terrified," she explained. It turned out her parents didn't have Internet and never saw the photos anyway.
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![2017 Met Gala - Arrivals Gisele Tom Brady](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: INSTARImages
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![Gisele Bundchen Tom Brady Met Gala 2018](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)
Photo credit: MEGA
What do you think of Gisele's topless walk? Sound off in the comments!
Gisele, 38, talked about what it was like getting her big break at 18 in the McQueen show. She spoke "limited" English and "couldn't believe" she'd been casted in such a big international show.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
But once she saw her outfits, she freaked out. They put her in a black wig and heavy eye liner. Two of her three looks were fine — a silver bathing suit and a dress. But the third was a fishtail skirt — with no top. She began to cry, thinking of how "disappointed and embarrassed" her parents would be when they saw the show.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
But an assistant named Val rescued her by painting on a white top. "Val told me how beautiful it looked and said that the runway was so dark nobody would know," Gisele wrote. And since there was "rain" falling on the runway, her tears were disguised.
Photo credit: Getty Images
"No one could tell what was rain and what was tears," the former Victoria Secret's Angel wrote.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
"If Val hadn't shown up then, I seriously doubt I could have walked the runway," the mom of two explained. The 1998 McQueen show was her breakout moment, launching her career. "It turned out that walking in Alexander McQueen's show was the beginning of my international career."
Photo credit: INSTARImages
"I was a good girl. I was a tomboy. I was someone whose big breasts had embarrassed her since she'd hit puberty. I was a girl gripped by the fear that my family would feel so embarrassed they would never speak to me again. I was terrified," she explained. It turned out her parents didn't have Internet and never saw the photos anyway.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Photo credit: INSTARImages
What do you think of Gisele's topless walk? Sound off in the comments!