Candice Swanepoel

Candice Swanepoel is a South African supermodel best known for her work as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, her international fashion campaigns and her swimwear brand, Tropic of C. Swanepoel grew up on a farm in Mooi River, South Africa. She studied ballet as a child and was discovered by a modeling scout at a flea market in Durban when she was 15.

Swanepoel began modeling professionally as a teenager, traveling to Europe for work and landing international fashion opportunities. She made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut in 2007 and became an official Angel in 2010. Her profile continued to grow as she worked with major fashion houses and appeared in international editions of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

In 2013, Swanepoel wore the Royal Fantasy Bra at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, a milestone in her modeling career. She has walked the runway for designers including Chanel, Givenchy and Fendi and appeared in campaigns for major fashion brands. In 2016, Forbes ranked her No. 8 on its list of the world’s highest-paid models. She launched Tropic of C, a swimwear and lifestyle brand, in 2018 and has also supported mothers2mothers, a nonprofit working to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa.

Swanepoel began dating Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli after meeting him in Paris when she was 17. The couple became engaged in 2015 and welcomed two sons, Anacan (born in 2016) and Ariel (born in 2018). They separated in 2018. In 2026, she moved on with former NFL player Tom Brady.