Candice Swanepoel: Born to Be the Fantasy

Candice Swanepoel didn’t just have a small waist — she had the tiniest, almost impossible hourglass waist in Angel history, a jaw-dropping 23 inches that set the runway on fire and made everyone look twice.

Before the wings, before the million-dollar bra, there was the waist. When Candice Swanepoel stepped onto the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway in 2013 wearing the $10 million Royal Fantasy Bra, the world collectively gasped.

And today? The Angel who made everyone talk turns 37.

Born on October 20, 1988, in Mooi River, South Africa, Candice didn’t grow up around fashion — she grew up around cattle. At 15, a scout spotted her at a flea market, and just like that, the cowgirl became a runway star. One minute she’s in farm boots, the next she’s boarding flights to Paris and London.

By 2007, Victoria’s Secret came calling. Three years later, she had her wings, and the show was never the same again. With her sharp hourglass lines and powerful walk, Candice Swanepoel dominated the runway. She became the moment everyone talked about, and her 2013 Fantasy Bra appearance remains one of fashion’s most replayed images.

But Candice didn’t stop at being the golden girl of lingerie. She went on to walk for Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace — basically every house with a front row full of editors and flashbulbs.

She fronted campaigns for Givenchy, Swarovski and appeared on the covers of Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar… the list goes on.

Years have passed, but Candice Swanepoel’s name still carries that kind of runway electricity you can’t manufacture. For countless young girls, she became the vision they aspired to, the dream body they chased, the muse of beauty that no one could ever quite replicate. She built a world of fantasy, one perfect stride at a time. And even now, that dream still shimmers — untouchable, unforgettable, and entirely hers.