In a new W cover story spanning more than a decade of magazine history, Gisele Bündchen looks back on her first cover in January 1999, the confidence behind her “horse walk,” her years with major designers and photographers, and her first cover with “us” in 19
When Gisele Bündchen arrived on set for her first W cover with “us” in 19 years, the moment wasn’t about proving anything. It was about reconnection—returning to familiar creative energy after years of living differently and choosing her work with more intention.
“Time really did fly by!” she says, describing a life that’s shifted from nonstop momentum to a calmer rhythm. “I feel lucky because I can pick and choose what I do, and I work only with people I genuinely enjoy being around.”
Her new cover is also a scrapbook of the choices that shaped her—starting with her first W cover in January 1999. photographed by Michael Thompson. Asked what her reaction was when she booked it. Bündchen calls it “a mix of excitement. gratitude. and disbelief.” She says she was still very young. far from home. and learning how the fashion world worked. Getting that first W cover. she recalls. was one of those moments where it finally clicked that sacrifices. traveling. and uncertainty were leading somewhere.
She carried that same grounding into how she understood her own rise. In May 1999. photographed by Michael Thompson. she was often described as “the return of the sexy model.” Bündchen doesn’t frame it as a calculated comeback. “Confidence and health can naturally come across as sensuality. ” she says. adding that she wasn’t trying to project an image—she was “just being myself.” Rejection. she says. taught her resilience and not to build her self-worth on other people’s opinions. She remembers an era of constant castings and repeated “no” before work suddenly came nonstop.
For many viewers, her presence on the runway made that shift visible. Bündchen was known for her “horse walk”—exuberant stomping that sometimes resulted in broken heels on the runway. She says it happened naturally. rooted in Brazil and growing up “always connected to sports and to my body.” With her being a size 7 shoe and five feet ten. she says the walk also helped her balance on very high heels. “I think the horse walk became popular because it had power. ” she says. insisting that walking the runway was never just about the clothes—it was about confidence.
Even how she approached a camera has stayed consistent, even as the fashion landscape changed. In February 2000. photographed by Michael Thompson. she talks about what she thinks about while being photographed. describing the different emotional tones of every shoot—sometimes strong and mysterious. other times joyful or romantic. She says the set itself shapes everything: hair, makeup, styling, lighting, and music. When she’s being photographed. she tries not to overthink. focusing on being present in her body and connecting to the character she has created in her head.
Her relationship with designers and photographers also comes through as something deeply human—collaboration built around imagination and comfort. In March 2001. photographed by Michael Thompson. she wore a Christian Dior bustier and spoke about Dior ads and her relationship with John Galliano. She remembers Galliano as “incredibly imaginative. ” approaching fashion “almost like cinema. ” where each collection came with a story. a fantasy. and its own world. “He encouraged everyone to dream with him. ” she says. and describes feeling grateful for having experienced that level of creativity firsthand.
By August 2001, photographed by Michael Thompson, she had already made it to her sixth cover with him. The unexpected moment on set wasn’t spectacle—it was the pace and the ease. She says he was easygoing. wanted to do his job and go back home to his family. and that by 5 p.m. they knew they’d be done. There was always laughing on set. and she credits those in-between moments—joking around. not taking themselves too seriously—with building trust that lets people do their best work.
Later covers show different kinds of artistry. October 2001, photographed by Michael Thompson, features her in Ralph Lauren. She says Lauren was among the first designers to book her for campaigns when she was still very young. describing him as a gentleman and a family man who treated her with warmth and respect. She remembers the shoot as powerful and sexy while still effortless. and says some of the strongest photographs are the least complicated.
In February 2002, photographed by Michael Thompson, she contrasts runway walking with a photo shoot. For runway shows. she describes adrenaline because everything happens live and quickly—“you get only one shot.” Photo shoots require different focus. The camera captures small details and emotions. so she says you have to slow down and become more aware of expressions and body language. Across both. she says confidence comes from feeling good physically. mentally. and emotionally. adding that true confidence doesn’t come from looking a certain way—it comes from feeling comfortable in your own skin.
Some covers are marked by shared moments. In August 2002. photographed by Michael Thompson. she shared a foldout cover with other legendary models. including Patti Hansen and Cindy Crawford. She says they represented different generations of fashion, and she felt honored to be among them. The atmosphere. she recalls. was relaxed. and when strong women come together with mutual respect instead of competition. the energy becomes joyful.
In November 2002, photographed by Michael Thompson, she shared a cover with the Calvin Klein model Travis Fimmel. The concept was to pair the two hottest models of the moment and to look “wet” and like they had been out partying together. Bündchen remembers thinking, “Hmm, here we go.” But she says the images turned out tasteful. She met Travis only that day, after a night out. The shoot was super quick, and they were done in maybe an hour.
In March 2003, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, Bündchen describes the vibe as artistic and modern. She says Inez and Vinoodh bring a unique vision that often results in something one-of-a-kind. and she describes them working “almost like two people sharing one creative brain.” She says the look they chose was unexpected because earlier W covers she’d done leaned more toward the sexy side.
Then. in January 2004. photographed by Craig McDean. she recalls her first W cover with him though she had worked with him many times. At that point she was traveling constantly and fitting in job requests. and the cover was shot at the end of the day after she finished another shoot. She says she was acting goofy and making funny faces between takes. She didn’t realize Craig would use the entire roll of film and print all those images across a spread inside the magazine. When the issue came out. she says she thought it was “so cool. ” because you usually don’t get to see the whole process. She says her best moments with Craig happened when things became unplanned—the imperfect moments creating the best photographs.
In June 2005, photographed by Michael Thompson, she wore Carolina Herrera and remembers meeting her for the first time. Bündchen says Herrera is “elegance personified,” and that the first thing she noticed was grace alongside kindness. She says Herrera was warm to her from their first meeting. Bündchen was only 15 and didn’t speak much English yet, so Herrera spoke Spanish and made her feel comfortable. She also admired how timeless Herrera’s work felt, and how Herrera genuinely loved making women feel beautiful and feminine.
By July 2007. photographed by Michael Thompson. she was on her 12th cover with him. and her spiritual practice had started to change her work. She says she had moved to Boston and was living a quieter life. Earlier in her career, she says, everything was about achievement and saying yes to every opportunity. Over time. she says she learned the importance of finding balance. and her spiritual practice helped her become more present and more connected to herself. Instead of focusing on external expectations. she started paying attention to how she felt internally—and she says that changed everything. affecting not only her work but also how she experienced life.
The through-line reaches the present. In Summer 2026, photographed by Karim Sadli, Bündchen returns to W for the first cover with “us” in 19 years. She credits her confidence now to understanding what goes into creating an image after more than 30 years in front of the camera—and to how an image creates a feeling. When she’s confident and accepting of herself, she says everything flows naturally. And when she arrived on set, she says the best part was reconnecting with everyone and feeling creative energy again.
Her account ends with gratitude and joy: “It was such a fun day. Thank you for having me!”
The production details list the creative team for this shoot: Hair by Sandy Hullett; makeup by Mark Carrasquillo at Streeters; manicure by Aspa Pappa. The model is Gisele Bündchen. Casting by Ashley Brokaw Casting. Produced by Prodn, with Executive Producer Stephanie Ge and Production Manager Patrick Langlitz. Photo Assistants are Jose Arizmendi. Yves Mourtada. and Thomas Vincent; Digital Technician is Aurentin Girard at Imagin Productions; Postproduction is Marie Lanoë at Imagin Productions. Production Assistants include Edward Augustin, Jaco Joseph, and Mario Lisboa. Fashion Market Editor is Tori López, with Fashion Assistants Isabella Manning, Audrey Petit, and Omar Thomas. Tailor is Cynthia Crusan-Noble. Hair Assistant is Alana Ashley, Makeup Assistant is Olivia Lopez.
Gisele Bündchen W magazine fashion covers Michael Thompson John Galliano Christian Dior horse walk runway confidence Inez & Vinoodh Craig McDean Karim Sadli