Lais Ribeiro is a Brazilian supermodel best known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and a regular on the world’s biggest runways. Born Laís Pereira de Oliveira on October 5, 1989, in Miguel Alves, Piauí, Brazil, she grew up in the Teresina area and was training to become a nurse before a friend pushed her toward modeling. She began locally in 2009 at Piauí Fashion Week and placed in the Joy Model “Beleza Mundial” contest, then exploded in her first full season. During the spring/summer 2011 shows she was the most booked runway model in Brazil, walking 27 shows at São Paulo Fashion Week and 26 at Fashion Rio. International bookings followed for Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Gucci, Chanel, Balmain, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, and Louis Vuitton. She has appeared in editorials for American, Brazilian, German, and Italian Vogue, as well as Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, and in campaigns that put her on magazine covers across several countries. Agencies in New York, Paris, Milan, London, and São Paulo have represented her since that early rush of bookings.
Ribeiro joined the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2010 and was named an Angel in 2015, one of only a handful of Brazilian models to wear the wings. In 2017 she wore the Fantasy Bra, the Champagne Nights piece by Mouawad, set with diamonds, yellow sapphires, and blue topaz in 18-karat gold. She also appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, GQ, and Maxim, and made a guest appearance on the sitcom New Girl. Recognition at home included IstoÉ’s Brazilian of the Year, Forbes Brasil’s 30 Under 30, and Quem’s Model of the Year. She has kept family life relatively private; she is married to former NBA player Joakim Noah and is a mother. Standing about 6 feet tall, with long dark brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a lean, athletic frame, she is known for a sexy but elegant look that works in lingerie, couture, and swim. That mix of height, poise, and high-fashion range made her one of Brazil’s defining models of her generation.