| FamosasDeliciosas.com / Laetitia Casta |
| A little bit about Laetitia Laetitia, whose name means "joy" in Latin, first found happiness in the lush green countryside of Normandy, France, where she spent her early childhood. To this day, she remains a country girl at heart. " I lived for ten years in absolute simplicity, surrounded by nature with very few neighbors. I could play with the frogs in the river or wander through the woods with absolute freedom. It was fantastic. Even today, I love to sometimes throw my arms around a tree. It gives me energy and makes me feel close to nature." This love of nature, as well as family and friends, often leads her back to the exquisite Mediterranean island of Corsica, where she maintains a home. Her father, Dominique, is of Corsican descent and she grew up infused with Corsican values. Family, loyalty, independence, as well as a touch of rebelliousness, are all of paramount importance. If you know Corsica, Laetitia will tell you, then you know her. Dominique Casta was raised on the rugged Corsican coast until his family moved to Normandy when he was still a boy. It was there, years later, that he met and married, Laetitia's mother, Line, Normandy born and raised. Their first child was a son named Jean-Baptiste. Laetitia was born two years after her brother, on May, 11, 1978, and twelve years after that another daughter, Marie-Ange, joined the family. Creative right from the start, Laetitia loved to draw and write stories in school. But she was also a dreamer, paying frequent visits to a world of her own making. "I was a daydreamer, absentminded and distracted. My teachers told me I wasn't as smart as my brother. I was already a bit insecure and stubborn as a mule, so when I heard this, I withdrew even further into my private little world, my bubble." Her bubble burst around the age of twelve, when her little sister, Marie-Ange was born. " I forced myself to grow up for her because I felt she was my responsibility, she admits "I just wasn't ready to grow up before then. The idea that I could be a role model for Marie-Ange was a great revelation for me. Laetitia was maturing in other, more apparent ways, too. "At twelve, my breasts began to grow and I had to wear a bra. But my friends weren't wearing them yet and the kids at school began to tease me. They would sit behind me in class and pull my bra straps and laugh. I felt awkward and self-conscious and embarrassed about my body. I was really just a child inside and I was very intimidated when people looked at me. Boys never approached me. I remember being alone, watching them from a distance, too afraid to say anything. I really didn't consider myself very interesting to them."
Career highlights It was around the age of fifteen that she discovered just how wrong she was. It was then that she was elected Miss Lumio, which is the little Corsican village where her father was born. A few days later, she was spotted on a nearby beach by a photographer and an agent from Madison Models, an important Paris modeling agency. Immediately taken with Laetitia's natural grace and beauty, they asked her father, who was also on the beach, if she could do some test photos with them. Naturally, he was skeptical, figuring it was a scam. After a bit of convincing, though, he agreed to bring her into the agency to take some test shots. Talk about a good move. As Vincent Peter, the founder of Madison Models tells it, "Laetitia arrived around lunchtime with her father, wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt and no makeup. It took about half a second for me to see that she had something rare and very special. It's indescribable, that instant recognition that you have something fantastic on your hands. Laetitia was not quite fifteen and shy and, I would say, a little nervous, but only because it was unfamiliar territory. She knew nothing abut modeling or the world of fashion. It was something that just happened to her." Vincent Peter immediately took Laetitia to Odile Sarron, the casting director for the French edition of Elle. "Odile is a very busy woman who is difficult to reach by phone and it's almost impossible to get an appointment with her. But I was sure that Laetitia would stop her in her tracks, so I took a chance and showed up unannounced. Odile had exactly the same reaction to Laetitia as I did, and that's how it all began." A few weeks later, Laetitia appeared in an Italian issue of Glamour.magazine. Although she was dressed up like a clown, her career was about to be shot out of a cannon.
Magazine Covers Hundreds and hundreds of magazine covers. Laetitia has done them all; Vogue, Elle Cosmopolitan and even Rolling Stone.
Guess? Paul Marciano, the founder and art director of GUESS? jeans, had already launched Claudia Schiffer's career with an ad campaign and in 1993 he was looking for another future star. Once again, the gods smiled on him when Laetitia Casta walked into his office. "The first time I saw Laetitia, I thought she was lost in the GUESS? building with her parents - she looked like she was no more than twelve years old. But when I looked more closely, I was blown away by the perfect features of her face. And those eyes - I couldn't look away from them" GUESS? was Laetita's first major advertising campaign, introducing her to the American market as well as launching her career worldwide. A considerable number of jeans were sold in the process.
Victoria's Secret In 1996 Laetitia signed a major contract with Victoria's Secret, the United States leading catalog for intimate apparel. In 1998, she was named one of the company's five top spokesmodels, known as Angels, and was featured on various covers, including the Christmas catalog.Their annual New York fashion show, which Laetitia has done a number of times, has become the hottest ticket in town. The cybercast of their last show drew 1.5 million hits worldwide, a record. Amongst a bevy of beauties, Laetitia stands out as the rarest of gems. According to Ed Razek, president and head of marketing at Victoria's Secret, "I knew immediately that she had a special quality. But to be frank, it took me a while to understand how completely rare her beauty is and how enormous her self-confidence is. She is utterly unique, not only in the business, but also, in my opinion, as a personality."
Sports Illustrated It was probably
inevitable that Laetitia would make an appearance in the fabled
Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. In fact she has made three, in
1997, 1998, and 1999. One of the most coveted gigs in the world,
it's given Laetitia added exposure in America as well as having
taught Americans how to say "swimsuit" in French.
Pirelli Calendar Every year since 1964, Pirelli Tires has sent out a calendar to a select list of clients and friends. Unavailable to the general public, it has become legendary for its fabulous, sexy photographs. Using the world's top photographers and models, every year's issue becomes yet another collector's item. The 1999 issue is perhaps one of the finest ever. Shot by Herb Ritts, it's entitled "Women Through the Decades" and, naturally, Laetitia was chosen for the '50s. As Paris Match magazine so aptly put it, "The souls of all those fifty pinup girls are reincarnated in Laetitia."
L'Oréal In 1998 Laetitia signed on with L'Oreal as a "diplomat or charm." Alongside the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Andie MacDowell, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss, you can spot her in ads and at major events like the Cannes Film Festival representing the illustrious Paris cosmetic house.
Yves Saint Laurent Perhaps the greatest achievement of Laetitia's fashion career is the loving collaboration she has developed with the master of haute couture, Yves Saint Laurent. It began in 1998, when she inspired him to create a wedding gown for her to wear for the grand finale of a fashion show celebrating his 40th anniversary of couture creation. Their relationship is a very special one. Laetitia's beauty, combined with her disarming charm, has been like a breath of fresh air for Saint Laurent. He has even gone so far as to design and create Laetitia's wardrobe for all her public appearances. This has occurred in the past with the likes of Catherine Deneuve, Jeanne Moreau and other actresses, but never before with a model. But then again, Laetitia is no longer just a model.
Asterix et Obelix In February of 1999, Laetitia appeared in her fist feature film, ASTERIX and OBELIX, alongside Gerard Depardieu, Roberto Benigni and Christian Clavier. With a $50 million budget, it was the most expensive French film ever made and it was a smash hit in Europe. Laetitia plays Falbala, a Gaullic beauty who uses her charms to distract the Romans and help Depardieu and his cohorts defeat the invading Roman army. It was a great experience for her and a spectacular debut to what surely will become a very important acting career.
La bicyclette bleue (The blue bicycle) Laetitia is currently shooting a three-part television movie for France's Channel 2 and this time she is acting in the starring role. The story revolves around the battle of a young French girl to survive the German occupation during World War II. For Laetitia, it is a role that hits close to home. "She reminds me of the spirit and determination we have in Corsica. I would like to think that if I found myself in the same situation as her, I would do exactly the same thing." The role is a demanding one, full of emotion and passion, and all of France is waiting to see if Laetitia is up to the task. If the reports from the set are any indication, they won't be disappointed.
[Taken from the official LaetitiaCasta.com website] . |
