RIO DE JANEIRO — Gisele Bundchen, the Brazilian supermodel who has been illuminating catwalks the world over for the past two decades, is retired from the runway after her final lap on Wednesday at Sao Paulo Fashion Week.

The 34-year-old mother of two, who’s married to Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, said she wants to spend more time with her family but has also vowed to continue working in the industry. The world’s highest-paid model according to a 2014 ranking by Forbes, Bundchen is the face of Chanel, Carolina Herrera, Pantene and other top brands. She also designs her own line of flip-flops and lingerie.

Bundchen rivals soccer legend Pele for the status of Brazil’s most internationally famous person, and her rise from a middle-class childhood in a small, rural town to superstar is the stuff of fashion legend.

In a posting Wednesday on her Instagram account, Bundchen wrote, “Today after 20 years in the industry, it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business.

“I am grateful that at 14, I was given the opportunity to start this journey.”

Bundchen’s longevity is a feat in an industry where careers tend to be fleeting. While most get their starts in their early teens, the vast majority last only a few seasons or years in what is widely acknowledged to be a cut-throat business. Very few superstars, such as Britain’s Kate Moss, can measure their careers in decades.

Bundchen said she wanted her last runway experience to be in her homeland.


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