Brazilian Bombshell

Model LAIS RIBEIRO quietly paid her dues for 10 years before conquering fashion’s main stage. She’s finally arrived — and she’s here to stay...

- Priya Rao

New York had a pretty mild summer last year — the average temperature for the month of May was a refreshing 18°C — but on the day I’m scheduled to meet Brazilian supermodel Lais Ribeiro, it is positively sweltering. Apropos, considering how hot the 27-year-old is in the flesh.

While this journalist’s face is sticky, and hair equal parts frizzy, Ribeiro walks into the Nomad location of the inviting Maman bakery like she just got off the set of a photo shoot. Snapple in hand, the lithe stunner with practically no makeup on isn’t really complaining about the heat — did I mention the restaurant’s air conditioning was on the fritz that day? “I give up,” she laughs, while twirling her slicked-back ponytail into a bun.

Ribeiro gets a few noticeable glances at Manhattan hot spot Maman, and many more later as we walk by the Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park, but it’s something that she is used to after almost a decade in the spotlight. In fact, Ribeiro might even say she encourages fandom (she does have a cool two million Instagram followers and 100K Twitter followers). “These days it’s a bit tricky if you just do [social media] to show people that this, modelling, is your job,” she says. “It’s not what I do every day. I have a family; I have friends!”