Jessica Stam

Jessica Stam was born in Kincardine, Ontario, on April 23,1986. Jessica, along with her six brothers, grew up on a Canadian farm. Her family was heavily devoted to religion, and Jessica did not stray from that path. She was a member of her church choir and participated in plays for the church's congregation. By the age of 16, Jessica had hopes of one day becoming a dentist -- modeling was not something she had even considered. Jessica was a 16-year-old working model when she won the Los Angeles Model Look Search in 2002. Her career in modeling received a boost from this acknowledgment, but she had to wait to be photographed by a well-known photographer before she could become a household name. That same year, Jessica met Steven Meisel, and his work with her led to her international recognition. Meisel attained his own status as a prominent photographer by taking photographs of Madonna for the 1992 book Sex.