The teutonic blond supermodel Nadja Auermann was born on March 19, 1971, in (West) Berlin, Germany. Both her parents were bankers. Though her parents divorced when she was still a child, she – according to all accounts—had a happy childhood.

Nadja has often said that she wanted to be an architect and had even wanted a career in politics. In 1989, she left school with the equivalent of a high schoold diploma. At that time she simply planned to work for a few years as a waitress until she decided what to do with her life. That was until another woman recommended she begin modeling. In 1984, her older sister, inspired by Nadja’s uncommonly long legs, and had already suggested to her that she think about modeling.  At that time Nadja was only thirteen !

As fate would have it no other way,  she was discovered by a modelling scout while sitting in a café in 1989. The scout wanted her to pose for a travel catalogue. That was not so a promising debut for her, but it did show her that others could look at her and see her great potential.

In 1990, she signed with Karins Models (run by Claud Brunel) in Paris. That relationship did not pan out the fruits that Nadja had hoped it would.  After signing with the Paris branch of Elite Model Management in 1991, she began working for French Vogue. It was also around that time that she appeared in an advertisement campaign for Benneton.

Though she was pretty enough, nothing truly special was detected in the young Ms. Auermann. That is, until she bleached her hair platinum blond for the upcoming ready-to-wear shows! That proved to be the jumpstart that her budding career needed to go into hyper drive.

Everyone from Harper’s Bazaar to Vogue came knocking at her door. So fierce was the competition to have her that both magazines featured portfolios on the new  “it” girl in modelling. By 1994, Nadja was the model strolling down the runways of the top designers from New York to Paris to Milan.

During this time, she was also busy in front of the camera being shot for the top magazine photo spreads. This was made clear with a rare 26-page shoot for Neiman Marcus in Harper’s Bazaar and consecutive Vogue photo shoots in 1994.

At that time, Najda or the “blonde angel” as she became known hit in the same month the coveted covers of both Harpers’s Bazaar and both the US and British editions of Vogue.  This is a feat that very few models have achieved.

That coup officially put her in the league of supermodels! And to cap it all off, Nadja was invited to join the big name supermodels to appear in George Michael’s “Too Funky” video, in which she shared the spotlight with Linda Evangelista and Tyra Banks. In the same year, the German supermodel beauty posed for the highly coveted Pirelli calendar.

Over her expansive career, Nadja has modeled for Versace. She appeared in miniskirts with Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Stephanie Seymour in one of Versace’s most unforgettable campaigns.

She has also appeared in other memorable campaigns for Anne Klein, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferré, Gianni Versace Couture, Giorgio Armani, GV Jeans, Joop!, Krizia, Karl Lagerfeld, Prada, Valentino, Versace Atelier and Yves Saint Laurent.

A favorite of photographer Ellen von Unwerth, she was the subject of a Vogue article from the photographer entitled, “She’s An Enigma.

In 1997, Nadja gave birth to her first child with Olaf Björn, her daughter Cosima. In 1999, she married the German actor Wolfram Grandezka.  And in the same year, the couple added their first son Nicolas to the family rouster.

In recent years, Nadja launched her own self-titled perfume (“Nadja Auermann”) and has begun acting. She has also appeared in two German-language films: Letztes Kapitel (2005) and Dornröschens Leiser Tod (2004), also known as ‘Sleeping Beauty’s Silent Death’.

Statistics Height: 5’11” / 180cm
Weight: 119lbs / 54kg
Bust: 36″ / 91cm
Waist: 24½” / 62cm
Hips: 35½” / 90cm
Shoes: 8 / 39
Dress size: 8

MAGAZINE COVERS

Canada: ‘Elle’ (Québec)

France: Vogue 1994, ‘Glamour’ – November 1994; ‘Max’ – August 1995; ‘Photo’ – November 1996; ‘Jalouse’ – July/August 2002

Germany: ‘Elle’ – April 1996; Vogue – April 1996; ‘Stern’ – September 18 1997; ‘Vogue’ – September 2004

Italy: ‘Glamour’ February 2000, Vogue,

Japan: ‘Elle’ – November 1996

Korea: ‘Vogue’ – November 2001

Quebec: ‘Elle’ – May 1996

UK: ‘Vogue’ – September & December 1994; ‘Elle’ – May 1995; ‘Elle’ – April 1996; ‘Scene’ – August/September 1998; ‘The Fashion’ – Fall/Winter 2000, Scene

US: ‘Elle’ – March 1995; ‘Elle TopModel #12’ – November/December 1996; ‘Esquire’ – March 1996; ‘American Photo’ – January/February 1998, Vogue 1994, Esquire, American Photo

CAMPAIGNS

Anna Molinari, Anne Klein, Blumarine, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dana Buchman, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Fendi ‘Theorema’ perfume, Gianfranco Ferré, Gianni Versace Couture, Giorgio Armani, GV Jeans, H&M, Joop!, Kathleen Madden, Krizia, Lagerfeld, Lagerfeld ‘Sun Moon Stars’ perfume, Luisa Cerano, Marc Cain, Palmers, Pomellato, Prada, Rena Lange, Rochas, Sand, Shiseido, Susan, Trussardi, Valentino, Versace Atelier, Wonderbra, Yves Saint Laurent

Birthdate: March 19, 1971

Birth Place: West Berlin, Germany

Occupation: Model/Actress

Height: 5’11” (1.80 m)

Weight: 120 lbs (54.5 Kg)

Bust: 36” (91 cm)

Waist: 24” (61 cm)

Hips: 35” (89 cm)

Shoes: 8 US/439EU

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Blue