Model Chameleon: Mariacarla Boscono

Boscono was born in Rome, Italy. She spent most of her early life travelling because of her father's work. Her parents lived in Thailand before she was born, but after her mother became pregnant they moved to Rome. She spent a couple of years in Rome until moving to Providence and then Key West. She spent her early school years in the States, but her parents thought it would be better for Boscono to study in Italy and reconnect with her Italian heritage. This did not last very long though: at 9 years old Boscono and her family moved to Africa, living in a village between Malindi and Mombasa. Boscono described her years in Africa as "the most fantastic in her life".

Boscono was discovered at 17 during a dinner with a family friend who happened to be a photographer. The friend and Boscono's mother encouraged her to begin a modeling career, but Boscono chose to finish school first. Soon after graduating high school she flew to New York City, signed with DNA Model Management, and became one of the favorite models of Karl Lagerfeld. It didn't take long for Boscono to rise as an internationally known model, being featured on the cover of Vogue several times and walking in many high fashion runway shows.

Recently she was named spokesperson for Hennes & Mauritz, replacing Kate Moss, and during 2006's Fall Fashion Week she traded in her long dark locks for a short platinum blonde hairstyle reminiscent of Jean Seberg. Boscono is living in New York, and calls it her second home, coming second after her birthplace of Rome.To date, she has campaigned for such brands as Chanel, Blumarine, D&G, Etro, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Escada, Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Diesel, Roberto Cavalli, Alberta Ferretti, Armani Exchange, Dolce & Gabbana and many more.

During the 2005 season, Boscono walked in over seventy fashion shows between New York, Milan and Paris. In 2005, she earned an estimated $3,500,000 in the past 12 months for a spot on Forbes' list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels. Despite this, Boscono was absent from the runways for both the Fall/Winter 2007 and Spring/Summer 2007 seasons. Boscono made her return to the runways in Paris at the Fall/Winter 2008 Couture collection for the House of Dior. Also back is Boscono's natural black hair.

As of 2008, she is the sole face of Emilio Pucci, Hermès, John Galliano and Moschino ad campaigns and walked for brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Christian Dior, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and Jean Paul Gaultier. She posed in Africa for the 2009 Pirelli Calendar by Peter Beard. Boscono has previously appeared in the Pirelli Calendar in 2003 and 2004.

Boscono is now the muse of maison Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci and has appeared in several campaigns for Givenchy. In November, 2008, she signed a contract for the new Moschino's fragrance "Glamour", photographed by Patrick Demarchelier and she becomes the new face of the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2009 advertising campaign with Brazilian model Caroline Trentini and American model Karlie Kloss.

In 2009, she became the face of Dolce & Gabbana and Givenchy Spring/Summer 2009 ad campaigns. In March she appeared on the cover of W Korea. She was the face of the Fall/Winter 2009 Salvatore Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana ad campaigns. Vogue Paris declared her one of the top 30 models of the 2000s. Boscono made her theater debut as 'Solange', a self-loathing sister, in Jean Genet's Maid, staged by the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York. In the cast of the piece there was also her friend Margherita Missoni.

(Source: Wiki)