Lais Ribeiro Is The Harper’s Bazaar Arabia February 2026 Issue Cover Star

Lais Ribeiro wants to redefine what legacy looks like beyond the runway. On her first visit to Dubai, the supermodel – shot in Van Cleef & Arpels’ high jewellery on a private island – reflects on why staying visible matters when you have something meaningful to say

That’s what Lais Ribeiro was expecting when she arrived in Dubai. “And I did get the shine, because we were shooting with the craziest jewellery I’ve ever seen – the kind that royalty wears. I think the only time I’ve had security like that was when I was wearing Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra,” she exclaims. The 35-year-old laughs as she recalls our cover shoot, on a private island, with guards escorting Van Cleef & Arpels’ high jewellery as if she were about to make a daring escape. “You think I’m going to take the jewellery and jump into the ocean?” she joked on set. Though Lais can laugh about it, she understands this glamorous world, having lived in it for nearly two decades. But the Brazilian native is keen to point out that she can also see – and is intrinsically linked to – a world beyond all this glitz.

Prior to our shoot, I’m prepped that Lais doesn’t want to be known as just a Victoria’s Secret model. She acknowledges appreciatively, “They made me, basically. It was the highlight of my entire career. It was the greatest time because I made so many friendships. We travelled the world together.” Then she adds, “But I stand for new things. We made a U-turn, you know?”

This is her first trip to Dubai and it comes at a reflective time in her career, the new mum thinking about her legacy, and how she can use the platform that she has carved after so long in the fashion limelight. Despite the jet lag, and having undergone the disappointment of a skydive being cancelled due to high winds that (early) morning, she is alert, curious and disarmingly candid. The city, and more importantly its people, fascinate her. “My driver from the airport was from Pakistan,” she shares. “He told me his whole story. Dubai feels like that kind of place – people from everywhere, looking for opportunities.” She pauses, thinking about the place she now calls home. “A bit like New York.”

New York, and the possibilities that she found there, changed her life. Born and raised in the Brazilian city of Miguel Alves, modelling was not a childhood ambition, nor, it seemed, even a possibility. “I never felt beautiful,” she says. Too tall, too skinny, teased relentlessly as a teenager, she didn’t see herself reflected in the Brazilian ideals of beauty. She knew of Gisele Bündchen – already a huge star – but the fashion scene wasn’t really on her radar.

At 19, she was studying nursing and already a mother to Alexandre. When a friend suggested she visit a small, local modelling agency, Lais decided to give it a go – but the work was far from exciting. “I was giving out flyers at university doors,” she says wryly. Her fortunes rapidly changed with her entry into the nationwide Beleza Mundial contest, and her debut at the 2011 Fashion Week season where she broke records, booking 27 shows in São Paulo and 26 in Rio. New York-based scouts took notice and whisked her to the Big Apple; she joined the Victoria’s Secret line-up soon after. “I didn’t even really do a casting – just a tryout. My first shoot was with Miranda Kerr. I didn’t speak English. I was shy, but the girls were amazing. Adriana, Alessandra, Candice – it felt like family,” she recalls warmly.

Victoria’s Secret made her a household name. It also placed her at the centre of a cultural conversation that would later turn sharply critical. Lais understands this shift; “Every year there were critics,” she reflects. “It was fantasy, but it influenced young girls.” The danger was perhaps in the idea that one body type – natural to these models, but unattainable to others – represented aspiration. Lais is happy about the brand’s evolution; “I’m glad it changed. I think now there’s space for everyone. There’s no one body type anymore.”

Evolution also informed Lais’ career, which took off before social media required personal curation and potentially even a clear voice. “When I started, there was no platform,” she says, “You went to castings. That was it.” Victoria’s Secret amplified her image but she now relishes the opportunity to speak on issues pertinent to her. “I try to put my feelings and purpose out there,” she tells us. “Sometimes my PR is scared because I say exactly what I think.”

She believes authenticity matters more than perfection. She doesn’t post endlessly. She cringes at the sound of her own voice in videos. And yet she understands she can use her profile; “If people are listening,” she says, “what am I influencing them about?” Does she still want to model? “Yes, but with purpose. Modelling helps me stay relevant so people listen to the message.”

That purpose was easy for her to define. She grew up surrounded by nature, in a deeply matriarchal family, who were vocal activists. The environment, and sustainability, are pillars that she has always identified with and been educated about. Her first serious step into that world came through Bottletop, a partnership that connected her to artisans in Brazil’s northeast, crafting accessories from recycled materials. It opened her eyes to what influence could do. “People started to understand what I cared about,” she says.

Today, Lais is a co-founder of a company producing ecological bricks made from recycled materials – plastic, glass, industrial waste. The technology eliminates CO₂ emissions during production and reduces deforestation. The bricks are modular, energy-efficient and, while slightly more expensive upfront, significantly cheaper over the course of construction. “Houses, schools, hospitals – anything can be built.” For now, the operation is based in Brazil, close to her hometown, but expansion is inevitable. “It’s a baby,” she says, smiling. “But I’ve been working towards this for seven years.”

At first, this might seem an unconventional pivot for a model, but Lais is astute. Fashion, after all, is one of the world’s most polluting industries. Her long-term vision includes recycling discarded clothing into construction materials, closing the loop entirely. “It all comes full circle,” she says.

Motherhood also informed the causes she campaigns for. Her eldest son, now 17, is autistic. Diagnosed after he joined her in New York, finding the right schools and therapists changed his life. “You could see him open up,” she says. Advocacy followed naturally as she was determined others should have the same access and support that Alexandre did.

During our conversation, the phone rings as the supermodel’s blended family reach out to her: she has four children, spanning teenagers to toddlers, shared between her and her husband Joakim Noah, a former Chicago Bulls basketball player, who she started dating in 2018. He too has taken up the philanthropy mantle and is involved in community work across Africa. His foundation builds courts, educational programmes, creating the infrastructure where talent can thrive. “It starts from the roots,” Lais tells us proudly.

Despite the scale of her life – global career, multiple businesses, activism, growing family – Lais still wants to grow. “I hate sitting still, ”she laughs, recalling how the suite’s sunken bath lured her, then bored her as soon as she tried to relax. She ascribes it to her genes; her grandmother is 88 and still unstoppable. “All the women in my family are like that,” she says. “Go-getters.”

I am drawn to the fact that Lais instantly saw Dubai’s multiple layers – not just its surface-level shine. At the end of our conversation, I appreciate the same could be said for this remarkable woman. She continues to work so she can further build her platform; “I stay relevant so people listen,” she says. And it turns out that Lais Ribeiro has plenty to say.

Lead Image Credits: Aventure en Mer Necklace in White Gold with Emeralds, Sapphires, Spinels and Diamonds; Mousqueton de Lapis Earrings in White Gold with Sapphires, Lapis Lazuli and Diamonds, POA, both Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewellery. Top, Dhs8,670; Skirt, Dhs16,350, both Chloé. Shoes, Dhs4,500, Celine

Talent: Lais Ribeiro. Acting Editor in Chief: Natasha Faruque. Art Direction: Paul Solomons. Photography: Vladimir Martí. Styling: Kim Payne. Make-Up: Sonia Abad. Hair: Aida Glow. Executive Producer: Steff Hawker. Casting Director: Jean-Marc Mondelet. Lighting Assistant: Scar Salario. Styling Assistants: Zeba Ali, Reem Najd. Special thanks to Sweden Beach Palace, The Heart of Europe, The World Islands Dubai

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia February 2026 Issue