Gisele Bündchen's nose was "too big" for magazine covers.
Gisele Bündchen
The 35-year-old Brazilian supermodel - who made her breakthrough in 1998 modelling for Alexander McQueen, the same year she made her Vogue debut - has admitted she was told her assets were out of proportion and she would "never" grace the front of a glossy publication, which made her feel insecure.
Speaking to PEOPLE about the criticism she faced on her journey to become a model, she said: "I remember some people telling me my nose was too big or my eyes were too small, that I could never be on a magazine cover.
"It wasn't easy to be 14 and hear that kind of criticism. It made me feel insecure."
Mother-of-two Gisele - who has son Benjamin, six, and three-year-old daughter Vivian with her husband, NFL player Tom Brady - sought advice from her father Valdir on the comments and told her to make the most of all her features.
She explained: "I told my dad, and he said, 'Next time, tell them, I have a big nose and that comes with a big personality.' At that point I felt, if I kept working hard and giving my best, it would all work out."
However, 21 years later and the blonde beauty is set to take a modelling hiatus to focus on other interests.
She said: "I am not retiring, I love learning and I love creating and I feel that will always be a part of my life. I am just emptying my glass, so I can fill it with things that are more aligned with who I am today."
Meanwhile, Gisele is releasing a photo book in May entitled 'Gisele', published by Taschen to celebrate her two decades in the industry.
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