Almudena Fernandez

Born in Benavente, Spain in 1977, Almudena Fernandez moved to Madrid with her family when she was a young girl. A typical childhood replete with a love-filled home preceded her assent to the top of the modeling world. Just as she was completing high school, however, the normalcy of that childhood would end.

During her senior year of high school, Fernandez entered a Supermodel of the World contest. The grueling competition pitted Spain's most beautiful teens against each other and, after all was said and done, she finished second. The recognition from this early success was huge, as the contest was sponsored by Spanish Elle. She used the good name of the magazine to enter the European version of the competition, finishing runner-up once again.

With these two high-profile feats, Fernandez set her sights on becoming a model. Her classic Spanish looks landed her early jobs with Lacoste, Herms, Olivier Strelli, and Alain Manoukian. During this modeling blitz, she decided to move to New York City in order increase exposure in the fashion world.