Julia Stegner

Julia Stegner was born on November 2, 1984, in Munich, Germany, the daughter of an accountant and the Central European sales manager for a large American company. She was raised alongside her older sister (who would go on to work in film production) in a household filled with dogs -- the Stegner family being comprised of animal lovers. Julia became immersed in her profession from a young age: She was a child model for seven years, working on children's catalogs and commercials, and was trained in dance for nine years. In high school Julia discovered a love for playing basketball, one that would eventually lead her to join a club team in Munich. She was a natural fit for the game, and her high school peers referred to her as "bean bar" because of her 5'11" height. She even met her policeman boyfriend, Konstantin, while playing her favorite sport. Julia was preparing to study accounting when she left high school, but a fortuitous event changed her career path.

At 15, while celebrating Oktoberfest in her home town of Munich, she was discovered by a talent scout who immediately recognized her potential for modeling greatness. In 2002, once she graduated from high school, Julia moved to Paris to pursue modeling. There, she made her first major cover appearance, for Elle magazine. She was signed by Supreme Management and, within four months, she was opening the 2002 Yves Saint Laurent show. In 2003, she did Strenesse and Sportmax campaigns, among others. By the summer 2004, she had done advertisement work for Celine, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and Dior.

Julia Stegner also has been the Hugo Boss house model for several seasons. Stegner has continued to build an impressive resume and remains in high demand, appearing in a 2005 campaign for French fashion house Chloé and shows such as Anna Sui, Lanvin, Gucci, Versace and Valentino. She also appeared in the 2005 and 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows. She also modeled for the 2005 Pirelli Calendar, where she appeared half-nude. Stegner has done extensive print and runway work for the fur industry, wearing fur clothing for American Legend Minks and others.