Angela Lindvall

By Sara Templeton

Despite being a top model, Angela Lindvall is also the defender of all things environmental, stating that she was "overwhelmed" when she started reading about our planet's slow deterioration and the plight of those less fortunate than us when she was but a young girl.

She once even said that her dream job would be to "To run an organic farm with lots of organic pigs and cows and chickens."

But this may have changed in the last few years, especially considering she now has an energetic young son to take care of.

Back in April of 1979, Angela Lindvall was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma and later raised in Missouri.

From an early age Angela knew that modeling would be a potential career, and so was always attending modeling shows and the like, in order to hone her skills and build confidence.

When she was 14, she was approached by a model scout at a Kansas City fashion event. Blown away by pristine facial features and won over by her down-to-earth attitude, Angela signed with with IMG in New York.

Many believe that the blossoming Angela Lindvall took a break from modeling shortly after signing up with IMG, and that it wasn't until she was 17 that she returned to the fashion fold. Perhaps she was just concentrating on schooling at the time?

But whatever the reason for her hiatus, at 17-years old the stunning model was already seen as an emerging supermodel, signing on to print ads for the likes of Prada, Missoni, Chanel, Valentino and Gucci. Also in 1996, Angela scored her first cover. It is was for the UK-based mag i-D.

By the time she was 18, Angela had yet more magazine covers under her belt - with front page billings for international editions of Elle, Vogue and Marie Claire - and a resume that was a who's who of the fashion world.

The blue-eyed Midwesterner went on to work with designers including Chloe, Louis Vuitton [pictured with handbag below right], Valentino, Chanel, Prada, Givenchy, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent and the list goes on and on.

Having cemented her place in the fashion industry by the time she was 20, Angela Lindvall was nominated for a VH1/Vogue Fashion Award in the year 2000, and though she was beaten by Carmen Kass, the nomination by her peers was more than enough validation that her work was consistently impressive and appreciated.

While many rising stars have to floundered in the past, particularly when heading into their early-to-mid 20s, Angela's work ethic didn't wane.

In 2001 she was chosen to appear in the historical Pirelli Calendar, where she disrobed for the cameras alongside such luminaries as Aurelie Claudel and Gisele Bündchen.

Angela also tried her hand at acting, and if you're interested check out the 2001 production called CQ. In it, the American model plays a secret agent, Dragonfly, and her then beau Billy Zane was also in the flick, as well as French thespian Gérard Depardieu.

Also in 2001, Angela signed a multi-year contract to be a Covergirl spokesmodel, joining the likes of Niki Taylor in a gig that's seen by billions of viewers all over the world.

She was even offered $1 million to be Tommy Hilfiger's new female underwear model - an offer she duly accepted.

In her time at the top, Angela has worked with the creme de la creme of photographers, like Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, Annie Lebovitz and Steven Meisel.

Not surprisingly, the environmentally conscious American model created and helped build The Collage Foundation, which is a non-profit organisation that spans the web, television, print and live events.

It's job is to try to bring youth attention to such issues as the environment, spirituality, science, art and technology.

In addition to giving birth to her first child in 2002, William Dakota, when asked what she'd be doing if she wasn't one of the world's most bedazzling models, a National Geographic photographer is right up there at the top of the list. Behind the camera instead of in front? It's completely understandable when you think about it, particularly so if you've ever had to pose for a photo shoot. Tiring stuff indeed.

Angela Lindvall graced the cover of Nippon (Japan) Vogue for the May 2004 issue, and in 2004 she was an almost-monthly attraction for readers of US Harper's Bazaar. The well-adjusted model also made her debut in the 2004 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which begs the question, where will it end for the role model?

And interestingly, she was named the "Best Dressed Environmentalist" in both 2004 and 2005 by the Sustainable Style Foundation and after her 2001 foray into film, she entered returned the world of moving pictures in the critically acclaimed Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang film with Robert Downey Jr. in (2005).

Married to professional diver William Edwards, Lindvall had her second child, son Sebastian, in May 2005, giving little William Dakota a brother to play with. And torture. 

In a cruel twist of fate that hits many families, Angela's sister Audrey who was 23 years - also an emerging model - was struck and killed by a large truck on August the 2nd, 2006. She was riding her bicycle with a friend, after hitting a kerb she fell underneath the wheels of the petrol tanker truck. 

"(Modeling) wasn't her passion; it took her a long time to even embrace it," said Angela Lindvall, "which she finally did, because she realised it was a job and she was grateful for it. But her passion was nature, plants, healing and ecology," added Angela.

Source: SI: Swimsuit Issue 2004 Photography: Jeff Bark	Source: Unknown Photography: Unknown
	Angela and ex-boyfriend Billy Zane Photography: Unknown
Source: Unknown Photography: Unknown