SI Girl

Background:

“It puts things into perspective when we realize that people can live without the luxuries we grow accustomed to having.” Frankie Rayder

American supermodel Frankie Rayder has made a reputation for herself as one of the world’s top fashion models with numerous impressive works under her belt since achieving her first major success in 1992. Her first photo with legendary photographer Steven Meisel ended up in the magazine Italian Glamour. Since then, Rayder has worked for fashion houses like Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Anne Klein, Stella McCartney, and Versace, and has been on the cover of magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Glamour. On the advertising front, she has worked for such companies as Chanel, Celine, Givenchy, Gap, Gucci, DKNY and Versace. Rayder is also known for her sexy posses for the 2005 and 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Personally speaking, Rayder is best friends with fellow models Kate Moss and James King. She is married to Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea and has a two-year-old daughter with him.


Small Town Girl

Childhood and Family:

Francesca Rayder was born on January 26, 1975, in River Falls, Wisconsin, a small college town close to the Minnesota border. She spent her youth there and relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the nearest big city to her hometown, as a teenager. It was in Minneapolis that the beautiful girl was first approached by a model scout who prompted her curiosity in the modeling world.

Frankie is the older sister of a world-celebrated model, Melissa “Missy” Rayder. She has a daughter, Sunny Bebop Balzary, who was born on October 26, 2005, with husband Michael Bazary (Flea), the bassist of Red Hot Chili Peppers.


Vogue

Career:

Growing up in a small town, Frankie Rayder never even thought of becoming a model, but a move to Minneapolis, Minnesota as a teen girl had changed her entire life. Attracted by Rayder’s looks and attitude, a model scout approached her and, soon after the meeting, the girl decided to try her hand in modeling.

Rayder’s big break arrived in 1992, when she met famed photographer Steven Meisel. Impressed by her marvelous personality, Meisel immediately booked her for a photo session, which marked the first of many. These first photos were featured in Italian Glamour magazine. Additionally, Rayder also made the cover.

After the victory, Rayder’s career skyrocketed. She traveled to many fashion cities such as New York, London, Paris, Milan and Miami Beach, working for numerous agencies like Page 305, Company, City Models, Take Two, Storm, Women Model Management and Why Not. In New York, she strutted the runways for designers like Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, Anne Klein, Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs, and in Milan, she found herself working for Fendi, Versace, Mila Shn, Cerruti, Alberta Ferretti, Dsquared2, Missoni, Byblos, Ext, and Amaya Arzuag. She modeled for such prominent fashion houses as Celine, John Galliano, Rochas, Chanel, Lagerfeld Gallery, YSL Rive Gauche, Martine Sitbon and Christian Dior in Paris.

A number of print advertisings followed, including for companies Dolce & Gabbana, Dia, Versace, DKNY, Jitrois, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Lagerfeld, Givenchy, Ext, Chanel, Celine, Eres, Gucci, J. Mendel and Mondi. Other corporations Rayder has worked for include Alexander McQueen, Viktor & Rolf, Moschino, Versus, Stella McCartney, Jeremy Scott, Blumarine, Chloe, Givenchy, Marni, Costume National, La Perla, Roberto Cavalli, and MaxMara.

A bona fide supermodel, Rayder also appeared in countless magazines, including Vague, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, The Face, Photo, Allure, British Marie-Claire, Arena, Rebel, British Elle, Flair, and Numro, as well as graced on the coves of Nylon, Glamour, and the American, Italian, British, Spanish, German, and French versions of Vogue. She posed for the Victoria’s Secret annual fashion show from 2000 to 2002, and made a cameo appearance in the Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson comedy film Zoolander (2001). More recently, she was featured in the 2005 and 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.


Awards:
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