Aurelie Claudel was born August 7, 1980 in the small town of Saint-Mars-d'Autille, France, and grew up with two brothers. As part of a prominent French family -- her father was a distinguished notary -- that includes being the descendants of French sculptress, Camille Claudel, Aurelie's dreams of life in the limelight were understandably met with some reservation. Her father thoroughly disapproved of her quitting school, but his daughter was too determined to let her dreams drift away.

At the young age of 13, Aurelie was approached about modeling by a man named Dawn Wolfe, who had seen her in the Jardin des Plantes park in Paris. In spite of her father's objections, Aurelie followed her heart. It was a gamble that paid off handsomely for Aurelie. By 18, she was on the cover of a European edition of Cosmopolitan and her phone hasn't stopped ringing since.

In addition to Cosmopolitan, she has also been featured in Marie Claire and Vogue, both in the European and American versions. She has also strutted numerous catwalks for most of the designer heavyweights, including Chloe, Emanuel Ungaro and Gucci, as well as Victoria's Secret. She also donned a bikini or two in Sports Illustrated's 2001 Swimsuit Edition. You might even recognize Aurelie from her appearance in Ricky Martin's "Private Emotion" video.

Her ability to shine in front of a camera lens is a feat that has garnered her the attention of such legendary photographers as Mario Testino (who photographed Aurelie in an edition of the Pirelli calendar), Peter Lindbergh and Steven Meisel (the man behind Madonna's infamous Sex book).

When she's not in front of the camera, Aurelie enjoys horseback riding and traveling to islands. In addition to the ad for Calvin Klein's "Truth," Aurelie continues to pursue her modeling career.