Jessica Stam is a Canadian supermodel with the iconic “doll face” who conquered the fashion world. Born in Kincardine, Ontario, she grew up on a farm with six brothers, dreamed of becoming a dentist, and never suspected a completely different future awaited her. Everything changed when she was accidentally spotted in a Tim Hortons coffee shop, because very soon, Jessica became the face of leading brands. Read more on vancouveranka.
From an Ontario farm to global runways—Jessica Stam’s story reads like a true fairytale. And that fairytale continues today.
How Did She Become Famous?
Her first major break came in 2002 when Stam won the Los Angeles Model Look competition. Her career skyrocketed thanks to the legendary photographer Steven Meisel, who saw her as his muse. Since then, she began appearing on the covers of Vogue and worked with fashion giants such as Marc Jacobs, Giorgio Armani, Anna Sui, and many others.
A landmark moment was the creation of the Marc Jacobs Stam bag, inspired directly by Jessica—a recognition only a handful of models ever achieve. In 2007, Forbes included her in the list of the world’s highest-paid models, and today, she continues to be a style icon and motivation for a new generation.
Modelling Career Breakthrough: The Early Years
She began her career as a model in Vancouver. By 2006, Jessica Stam had achieved considerable success. She walked in 64 shows during Fashion Weeks in New York, Milan, and Paris, immediately solidifying her status as one of the most in-demand models. That same year, she became the face of the Rochas advertising campaign, photographed and directed by Bruno Aveillan. And her viral fall on the runway during the Chloé Fall 2006 show, attributed to “indecently high patent leather pumps,” became an instant hit—the video garnered millions of views on YouTube and topped New York Magazine’s “5 Most Amazing Runway Falls” ranking.
At the 2006 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Jessica opened the brand’s first-ever Pink segment and appeared in a special video about the campaign shoot, sharing a model’s view of the fashion show’s backstage world. 2007 brought Stam even more recognition. She appeared on the cover of American Vogue alongside nine other models as part of the “Next Generation of the World’s Top Models” project. During Paris Haute Couture Week for the Spring/Summer 2007 season, she walked for Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Jean Paul Gaultier. In July, Forbes listed her among the world’s 15 highest-earning supermodels with an annual income of $1.5 million.
The face of Bulgari, Dior, Lanvin, Escada—Jessica became a muse for the most famous brands. She starred in advertising campaigns for Christian Dior, DKNY, Miss Sixty, Loewe, Roberto Cavalli, and also participated in Victoria’s Secret shows in 2006, 2007, and 2010. In 2008, she appeared in the perfume advertisement for Giorgio Armani and campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari.
The Wall Street Journal dedicated an article to her titled “How to Walk Like a Model,” where Jessica taught the art of the runway walk to a DKNY intern. It is safe to say that her style, grace, and professionalism made her an icon of the fashion world.
The Path Forward
Soon after, Jessica became the face of Bulgari again, and in March 2009, she appeared on the cover of the Japanese edition of Tokyo Numéro. In the fall, she participated in the Fendi advertising campaign, shot by Karl Lagerfeld. She also became the face of the new floral Nina Ricci fragrance called Ricci Ricci, launched in the summer of 2009. Around the same time, Jessica appeared in an episode of the CW series The Beautiful Life.
In 2010, she was chosen for the Nina Ricci Spring/Summer advertising campaign. Stam also began trying her hand at design: first, the model collaborated with the Rag & Bone brand, creating pieces for the Spring 2010 collection, and then she joined Rachel Roy to develop a capsule collection—jeans, a handbag, and a cardigan for the Rachel Rachel Roy line, which launched in October 2011. Jessica also participated in the Victoria’s Secret show in Paris, where she presented the Giles Deacon collection. In March 2010, Stam became the first model on the cover of the debut issue of Vogue Turkey. That same year, she created and presented four pieces for Rachel Roy’s budget line, which debuted in August at Macy’s.
A year later, Jessica became the face of CoverGirl and participated in the Lip Perfection campaign alongside makeup artist Pat McGrath. Today, Stam holds a spot on the “Industry Icons” list on models.com—a title given to models who have worked at a high level for at least eight years and continue to remain popular. Furthermore, she also hosted the fashion show The Thread on Yahoo! and the Marc Jacobs pre-show.
In 2012, she joined the charitable initiatives Many Hopes and Adopt Together to help orphaned children in the USA and homeless people in coastal Kenya. On May 30, 2013, Stam represented the Peacejam organization as an ambassador at the Social Innovation Summit at the UN Headquarters.
Personal Life
Jessica dated DJ AM for a long time. In 2017, she gave birth to a daughter. In July 2020, she confirmed on Instagram that she was expecting her second child. Today, Stam not only remains one of the world’s most prominent models but also continues to contribute to charity. Jessica is a true industry icon who inspires new generations to achieve great success.