Eva Herzigova says that her older sister is the true beauty in her family. To this day, she is amazed that she has a modeling contract instead of her sister. On a family trip to Prague, a friend encouraged Eva and her sister to enter a contest sponsored by the French agency, Metropolitan Models. Her sister wasn't interested, so Eva entered with her friend. Six months later, she was flying to Paris, only sixteen and on the verge of a major modeling career.

Her very first photo session was "uncomfortable." Having never attended modeling school and worse yet, coming from Czechoslovakia where fashion magazines were rare, she had no idea what to expect. She kept wishing all the stylists and make-up artists would quit staring at her. Now, she prefers photo sessions to fashion shows, " I love photo sessions. I'm alone, I'm the queen, everyone's taking care of me," she says, laughing.

She was born March 10, 1973 in Livinov, a mountain village in northern Czechoslovakia where her mother worked as a secretary and her father was an electrician in a mining company. She credits her parents with instilling her value for hard work and keeping her grounded.

In 1992, she gained her greatest exposure in a series of GUESS? ads shot by Ellen von Unwerth. When the ads ran, Marie Claire hailed her as "the next Marilyn Monroe." In July of 1994, she landed the cover of Elle magazine and became the spokesmodel for Wonderbra. Since then, she has become synonymous with those infamous ads.

Eva speaks four languages: Czech, Russian, English and French. Her hobbies include pottery, horseback riding, reading, going to the movies and riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle.