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Eva Herzigová

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Eva Herzigová
Herzigová in 2025
Born (1973-03-10) 10 March 1973 (age 53)
Occupations
  • Model
  • actress
Children3
Modeling information
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Hair colorLight blonde[1]
Eye colorBlue-green[1]
Agency
  • Unsigned Group (London)
  • The Lions (New York)
  • ZZO (Paris)
  • d'management group (Milan)
  • Traffic Models (Barcelona)
  • Scoop Models (Copenhagen)
  • Mega Model Agency (Hamburg)
  • Czechoslovak Models (Prague)
  • Priscilla's Model Management (Sydney)[2]

Eva Herzigová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɛva ˈɦɛrzɪɡovaː]; born 10 March 1973) is a Czech model and actress. In 1994, she became the face of a Wonderbra campaign with the slogan "Hello Boys". Her height (1.80 m or 5 ft 11 in) and elegant appearance made her a sought-after model for fashion shows and campaigns of various renowned brands. Throughout her career, Herzigová has worked with leading designers and fashion houses including Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Versace, Louis Vuitton and has appeared on the covers of many prestigious fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and many others.[3] She became one of the prominent figures of the 1990s modeling and was one of the so-called supermodels along with Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington.

In addition to her modeling career, Herzigová has also appeared in film and television. She has starred in films such as Les Anges gardiens (1995) along Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier, My Best Friend's Wife (1998), Modigliani (2004) and A Prominent Patient (2017).

Her career as a model and her presence in public space have won her numerous awards and accolades. She remains a major figure in the fashion and entertainment industry.

Early life and career

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Herzigová was born in Litvínov, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), the daughter of an accountant mother, Eva, and an electrician father.[4] Growing up, Herzigová was athletic, "excelling in gymnastics, basketball, track and cross-country skiing."[5] She began her modeling career at the age of 16 after winning a modeling contest organized by the French modeling agency Metropolitan Models in Prague in 1989, before she moved to Paris.[6]

1994 ad for Wonderbra featuring Herzigová

After arriving in Paris, her popularity increased. Her first important appearance was as the model for the first Wonderbra campaign. In 1994, advertising executive Trevor Beattie, working for TBWA/London, developed an ad for Sara Lee's "Hello Boys" Wonderbra campaign. It featured a close-up image of Herzigová wearing a black Wonderbra. The ad used only two words: "Hello boys." The influential poster was featured in an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London[7] and it was voted in at number 10 in a "Poster of the Century" contest.[8] The Canada-based lingerie fashion label wanted the ad campaign to motivate women to see the Wonderbra "as a cosmetic and as a beauty enhancer rather than a functional garment". The billboard was voted in 2011 as the most iconic outdoor ad during the past five decades by the Outdoor Media Centre.[9]

She was also featured in Guess? jeans campaigns, the Victoria's Secret catalog and Sports Illustrated. Herzigová has featured in a variety of international fashion magazines, gracing the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar as well as Elle, Marie Claire, Numéro and Allure. She has also walked for designers including Louis Vuitton, Benedetta Dubini, Giles Deacon, Emilio Pucci and Versace.[3]

Herzigová also starred in a fashion art film by Imagine Fashion, called Decadent Control with Roberto Cavalli. It featured fashions by Agent Provocateur and H&M. Herzigová posed for the August 2004 edition of Playboy.[10] In 2006, she portrayed Venus at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.[11] In 2013, Herzigová was chosen as the new model for Dior's Capture Totale line.[12] She continued working with Dior into 2021.[13] In 2016, Herzigová was one of those chosen to be spokesmodels for Giorgio Armani's New Normal Campaign.[14]

Activism and philanthropy

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Throughout her career, Eva Herzigová has also been involved in philanthropic activities and awareness campaigns. In particular, she has supported health-related initiatives, working with the international organization DKMS, which focuses on fighting leukemia and encouraging bone marrow donation.[15]

According to Herzigová, her involvement with the cause began after learning about the story of a child diagnosed with the disease, which led her to support campaigns promoting the importance of joining bone marrow donor registries.[15]

Herzigová helped promote the campaign “Get Swabbed, Save a Life”, which aims to expand DNA databases to improve matches between donors and patients in need of transplants.[15]

Personal life

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Herzigová in 2016

Herzigová married Tico Torres, the drummer from Bon Jovi, in September 1996 in New Jersey.[16] The couple divorced in June 1998.[17] Herzigová has three sons with Italian businessman Gregorio Marsiaj: George (born 1 June 2007), Philip (born 13 March 2011) and Edward (born 20 April 2013).[18] They live in Italy. In 2017, the couple became engaged.[19]

Herzigová speaks Czech, Russian, English, French and Italian.[20]

Filmography

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Title Year Role Notes
Inferno 1992 TV film
Les Anges gardiens 1995 Tchouk Tchouk Nougat
My Best Friend's Wife 1998 Frida Seta
Just for the Time Being 2000 Christine
Modigliani 2004 Olga Khokhlova
The Picture of Dorian Gray 2005 uncredited
Eva 2005 herself short by Gaspar Noé
Girl Panic! 2011 Nick Rhodes Duran Duran music video
Cha cha cha 2013 Michelle
Storyteller 2014
A Prominent Patient 2017
La Maison [fr] 2024 herself TV show (special appearance)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Eva Herzigova at Fashion Model Directory
  2. ^ "Eva Herzigova". models.com. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Eva Herzigova". Models.com. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  4. ^ Anderson, Hephzibah (8 June 2008). "Eco Herzigova". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Eva Herzigova - Biography". Hello! Magazine. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  6. ^ Martín Bianchi (7 May 2023). "Eva Herzigova: 'How many black sweaters do we need?'". El País. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  7. ^ Nigel Rose. "Hello Boys (poster)". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  8. ^ Gibson, Janine (16 October 1999). "Tory advert rated poster of the century". London: The Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  9. ^ "Eva Herzigova's Wonderbra campaign voted the most iconic ad". International Business Times. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  10. ^ Hefner, Hugh, ed. (1 August 2004). "Playboy Magazine, August 2004". Playboy – via Amazon.
  11. ^ Starr, Mark (19 February 2006). "Torino Lights Up". Newsweek. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  12. ^ Poulain, Lucie (29 January 2013). "Eva Herzigova: New Dior icon". Vogue. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  13. ^ Chu, Ying (22 February 2021). "Dior's New Film About Perfume Takes You On a Trip Around the Globe". Marie Claire. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  14. ^ Phelps, Nicole (25 January 2016). "Giorgio Armani Launches His New Normal Campaign in Paris". Vogue. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Violet Moon Gaynor (20 April 2010). "Eva Herzigova: Model, Mom, Activist". Elle. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Model Gets A Rock - And A Rock Star". Deseret News. 9 September 1996. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Eva Herzigova divorzia da Tico Torres". Rockol (in Italian). 16 June 1998. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  18. ^ Jenni McKnight (10 April 2024). "Eva Herzigova's handsome teenage son towers over 5ft 11 mom in rare photos". HELLO! Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  19. ^ Foster, Alistair (25 January 2019). "Eva Herzigova: My life could have taken a very different path". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  20. ^ Leisa Barnett (29 May 2008). "Eva Herzigova wants son to be a linguist". British Vogue. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
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