Jessica Gomes
Jessica Gomes | |
---|---|
Born | |
Modelling information | |
Height | 5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m) |
Hair colour | Dark brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Agency | Women Management |
Website | iamjessicagomes.com |
Jessica Gomes (born 25 September 1985) is an Australian model who has appeared in the Swimsuit Issue of the American Publication Sports Illustrated since 2008. She works extensively in Australia and Asia. She has strong followings in Korea and in the East Coast hip hop community.
Gomes is the featured spokesperson for Australian corporations David Jones Limited. She has also been a spokesperson for Korean conglomerates LG Electronics and Hyundai. Gomes serves as the face of the Estee Lauder/Sean John fragrance "Unforgivable". She has been revealed as the voice of Rick Ross' label Maybach Music Group. An early LG ad campaign is considered her breakout performance.
Modelling career
She is the daughter of a Portuguese father, Joe Gomes and a Singaporean mother, Jenny.[3] Although sources such as her Fashion Model Directory listing contain a Perth, Western Australia, birthplace,[2] other sources state that Gomes was born in Sydney[4] or nearby Wahroonga in New South Wales.[5] Gomes says she was born in Sydney.[1] She was raised in Perth.[6] Ocean Drive writer Peter Cullum presents one of the more detailed biographical sketches of Gomes in which he claims she first lived in Sydney and then the family "opted out of Sydney for the semirural isolation of Western Australia" where she had "a semi-rural tomboy childhood".[7] She is the youngest child in her family that includes two older sisters and an older brother.[1] Gomes' mother sent her to modelling classes at Linda-Ann Model Academy in Perth suburb Midland at the age of 13. There her acting led to a modeling contest and the start of her career.[4] In 2004, she signed with IMG Models after moving to New York City.[7] She has avoided Paris and Milan and done extensive work in most of Asia's major markets — including Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai — where she feels mixed heritage models are more successful.[7] According to Diane Smith, senior editor of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, she is regarded as a "nontraditional" beauty and in her Australian homeland she is regarded for her multiracial background.[7]
Campaigns
Gomes has enjoyed much success through South Korean advertising campaigns.[8] In 2007 she appeared in advertisements for Hyundai Sonata. The following year, she appeared in an advertisement for LG Cyon Bikini Phone, in which she promoted the split screen cellphone wearing a two-piece bikini, under the tagline "Touch the Wonder." This ad campaign is credited as having pushed Gomes to stardom in South Korea.[9] Her popularity grew, and by 2013 between her spokesmanships and Korean television show appearances, she had reached celebrity status.[10][11]
Beyond her Korean success, Gomes has appeared in Vogue, Teen Vogue, Glamour, American Glamour and Victoria's Secret catalogue,[4] has modeled for DKNY Jeans, Garnier, Levi's, Motorola, Urban Outfitters and Victoria's Secret, and appeared on the cover of Biba.[2] She signed with Estee Lauder as the face of Sean John's Unforgivable fragrance.[4] She has been featured in ads for Jay-Z Rocawear.[7] In 2009, she was in a Cass Beer ad campaign with Lee Min Ho.[9] She was the Maxim Cover girl for November 2011.[12] On Friday 22 March 2013, Gomes was announced as the fashion ambassador for Australian retail giant David Jones Limited, replacing Miranda Kerr and joining Megan Gale, Jason Dundas, Montana Cox, Gai Waterhouse and Emma Freedman.[13][14] That July, she debuted for Jones on the runway.[15] After Gomes became the face of Enprani Cosmetics, she launched a lip gloss named Gomes Pink.[7]
Sex symbol
Gomes was listed at number 34, 8 and 94 in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 AskMen international poll of "world's most desirable women".[16][17][18][19] She is listed at number 25 in the Maxim's Top 25 Hottest Females of 2012 and number 8 in Maxim Australia's Hot 100 of 2012.[20][21] In 2013, she was listed at number 6.[22][23]
By 2015 she had appeared in eight Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues (2008–2015).[24][2][6][25] In 2008, she was part of a record group of seven "rookie" Swimsuit Issue models, along with Quiana Grant, Melissa Haro, Yasmin Brunet, Melissa Baker, Jeisa Chiminazzo and Jarah Mariano.[26] That year, she was featured in a bodypainting layout as a canvas for bodypaint artist Joanne Gair.[26] By the time of her fifth consecutive Swimsuit issue, she had surpassed all models of Asian heritage.[7]
Television
Before Gomes began modeling in Midland, she appeared as an extra at age 10 on the Australian miniseries Bush Patrol which lead to a modeling.[7][4] While she lived in New York City, she studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.[9] Her Chinese-Portuguese heritage has contributed to her popularity in the Asian market,[8] and in 2009, her reality TV-show My Name Is Jessica Gomes was launched on the English language Korean television network On Style owned by On-Media. In the shows second season it chronicled her time in New York.[7] She is regarded as a choreographer and made her dancing debut in the Korean version of Dancing with the Stars on June 10, 2011.[27][28] She placed third that season.[7]
Other
Gomes has a variety of East Coast Hip Hop connections.[7] In January 2012, Gomes was revealed as the voice behind saying the name of Rick Ross' label Maybach Music Group at the beginning of certain tracks that the company produces.[29][30] She is "name-checked" in the Kanye West GOOD Fridays song "Christian Dior Denim Flow".[7] Gomes participated as a celebrity driver in a promotional celebrity challenge racing event by Mazda associated with the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.[25]
Personal
Gomes was born in Perth, Australia, and has an older brother.[3] She counts Australian Elle MacPherson and the multiracial model China Machado, the first non-White model to appear on the cover of a US fashion magazine, as her role models.[7] She dined with Perth native and friend Heath Ledger in New York the day before he died.[7]
In 2005, Gomes moved to New York City and was a roommate of Gemma Ward.[3] She formerly attended La Salle College.[3] She continued to live in New York at the time of her Swimsuit Issue debut in 2008 and as late as 2011.[5][8] Gomes' mother was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Singapore and her father is from Portugal before spending time in Paris. Both emigrated to Australia in the 1970s.[1][7]
References
- ^ a b c d "#IAm Jessica Gomes Story". YouTube. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Jessica Gomes". Fashion Model Directory. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ^ a b c d "Tomboy walks tall". PerthNow. 2005-09-10. Archived from the original on 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ a b c d e "Model of the Week: Jessica Gomes". PopSugar. 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
- ^ a b "Jessica Gomes Interview". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 108, no. 6. 2008-02-15. p. 30.
- ^ a b "Gomes brushes off weight taunts". The West Australian. 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Cullum, Peter (2012). "Jessica Gomes: A Beauty Below the Surface". Ocean Drive. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ a b c "Jessica Gomes is in step - Korean dance star spot". The Telegraph. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ a b c Balbuena, Vanessa A. (2009-10-26). "Jessica Gomes, Up Close and Personal". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ Schwartzman, Nathan (2009-07-29). "Jessica Gomes Still Big in Korea". AsianCorrespondent.com. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ "X Factor contestant Dami Im takes her fashion tips from competition judge Dannii Minogue". The Sunday Telegraph. 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ "Jessica Gomes, a bikini and a hose- is this Maxim cover sexist or hot?". The Sunday Times. 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
- ^ Hoyer, Mellisa (2013-03-22). "Jessica Gomes replaces Miranda Kerr as David Jones ambassador". News Corp. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ Klein, Nathan (2013-03-22). "Miranda Kerr steps down as David Jones ambassador, with Jessica Gomes taking her place". The Telegraph. News Corp. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ "Jessica Gomes debuts as David Jones ambassador - video". The Guardian. 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ Brown, Stephen Rex (2012-12-12). "MMM, Yummy!\ Jennifer The Most Desirable' In World". New York Daily News. p. 9.
- ^ "Top 99 Women 2013 Edition". AskMen. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ "Top 99 Women 2012 Edition". AskMen. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ "Jessica Gomes #94 in AskMen's Top 99 Most Desirable Women". askmen.com. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ "Maxim's Top 25 Hottest Females of 2012: Jessica Gomes". Celebuzz.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ Roosevelt, H. Q. (2012-10-19). "Maxim Australia's Hot 100 of 2012 Revealed". Roosevelts.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ "Tony Abbott's daughters land a spot on the Maxim Hot 100 list". The Australian. 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
- ^ Prestipino, David (2013-10-17). "Jennifer Hawkins is Maxim's Hot 100 winner, Jess Gomes leads WA girls". PerthNow. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
- ^ "Jessica Gomes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ^ a b Davison, Brent (2013-02-20). "Runway to race track". Newcastle Herald. p. 38. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ a b "Supermodel Marisa Miller Adorns The Cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue" (Press release). Time Inc. 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ Agarwal, Stuti (2013-09-12). "Male strippers new flavour of Kolkata parties". The Times of India. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ Jessica Gomes is in step - Korean dance star spot. dailytelegraph.com. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
- ^ "Meet the girl behind the "M-M-M-Maybach Music" drop…". the305.com. January 13, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
- ^ Baker, Ernest (2012-01-12). "Australian Supermodel Jessica Gomes is the Voice Behind the "Maybach Music" Drop". Complex. Retrieved 2013-10-08.