The Most Famous Danish Models You Must Know
Beautiful Danish models are walking all over the streets of Copenhagen. I’m serious. Denmark’s capital does have a ridiculously high hot to not ratio and you might even end up seeing one (or more) of the 7 most famous Danish models I’m listing below.
Denmark has been known to produce a host of beautiful, world-renowned celebrities – including models. While your regular Danish girl will probably have similar looks to the top ones, it’s these who managed to score really big.
Here are some of the most beautiful women that come from Denmark to help prove my point: the 7 best known models from Denmark.
Josephine Skriver
Victoria’s Secret Angels always go first on this list of Danish models.
Josephine Skiver has been in the industry since 2011 but she has already walked over 300 shows (and landed the incredibly sought-after Victoria’s Secret Angel contract).
Josephine was born and raised in Copenhagen. A fun fact about her parents? They are both gay.
Her mother is an IT specialist and her dad is a marine biologist. Here is what she tells about her unconventional conception and upbringing:
“I had a mom, who back in the day was gay. From the moment she was a kid, from the moment she knew about kids, she wanted to be a mom. So in Denmark, in ’92, there was this newsletter for the whole LGBTQ community and my mom just put an ad in there and was like, ‘I want to bring a kid into this world.
Does anyone want to be part of that?’ She got a few replies and the first one actually turned out to be my dad!”
Josephine is an IVF (in vitro fertilization) baby and proud. She says some people shamed her and her family for their choices but that she did have a happy (if not unusual) childhood.
And no, her parents are not married. Josephine’s dad is married to his partner (whom he was with when she was first conceived) and her mom also has a female partner.
They even have a second child, Josephine’s younger brother, and are very close. They’re always getting together to celebrate birthdays and other holidays.
Maria Gregersen
Maria comes from the beautiful Danish city of Aarhus, where she was first discovered.
The story goes that she only entered the Diva models contest because of the prize. They were giving away a 10-day all-expenses-paid trip to New York. She did win but wasn’t too interested in modelling at first.
Apparently, she only pursued it when she was done with school (admirable, not a lot of models do that). And when she did…well, safe to say she was very successful.
Maria has appeared on the cover of various European magazines. She has also appeared in editorials and ads for the likes of Sephora, Giorgio Armani, Etam, La Perla, and even Braun. Maria is not afraid to give unedited insight into the ups and downs of modelling work:
“Modeling is hard work. When I went to a casting for the Giorgio Armani show in Milan, it started at 7AM.. I was there half an hour early, and there were already 200 girls in line.
The actual casting takes less than two minutes. Everyone gets the same shirt on and we walk for them. It’s tough to give your best when you have been standing for hours.”
Nina Agdal
Nina Agdal grew up in the town of Hillerød and was discovered completely by accident.
The small-town girl signed with Elite Models Copenhagen without any previous modelling experience and at 18 she moved to the US to pursue her career.
Nina has modeled for lingerie and swimwear brands like Billabong, Victoria’s Secret, Adore Me, Bebe Stores and Calzedonia. She has also been featured in various fashion magazines and in Sports Illustrated.
In fact, when she first appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Nina was named the “Rookie of the Year.” Safe to say they liked her.
The Danish model’s career highlight was when she appeared on the 50th anniversary cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue with Chrissy Teigen and Lily Aldridge.
Nina has since appeared in a Super Bowl commercial, worked for various brands, and switched to IMG Models for her management. Who knows what the pretty Dane has in store for us this year!
Mia Rosing
This gorgeous Danish model has a fair share of high-end brands on her resumé. Mia was discovered by Elite Models scouts and won the Elite Model Look Copenhagen back in 1998.
Things developed quickly from there. The young Dane has been featured in ads for La Perla, Giorgio Armani, Escada, Wolford, Seven For All Mankind and Miss Sixty. She has walked the catwalk for Lanvin, Marc Jacobs and Christian Dior, among many others.
Of her early start in modelling (she was just 15 when she won that Elite Models contest) Mia says:
“I felt really mature, but I’m not sure if I was. You do gain a certain independence.”
What is Mia doing these days? She is a fit model, one of the girls designers literally use to craft clothes around. With her perfect measurements and her tall figure, Mia is perfect for the job.
On feeling the most beautiful, Mia says:
“If I’ve just come back from a long weekend, where I’ve been out in nature and relaxed and when I’m in a good place mentally — that’s when. Also, after modeling for so long, I actually hate it when I have too much makeup on.”
There you have it. The secret of Danish beauty—de-stressing and being natural!
Ena Sandra Causevic
Ena Sandra was born in Sønderborg, Denmark. She’s one of a handful of Danish models who represented her home country at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant and is still very active in the modelling world.
These days Ena is also focused on charity work. She has thrown her support at Danish charity FMKB, who support families whose children suffer from cancer.
Ena is also a smart cookie, currently pursuing a career in communications while keeping up with her modelling work.
Ena Sandra is also notoriously private about her personal life. You would be hard pressed to find a single gossip article about her. She prefers to stay low-key and focus on her work.
Renée Simonsen
One of the most gorgeous Danish models of the 80s, Renée Simonsen is now an acclaimed writer. You can see in the photo above that she’s still extremely beautiful.
Renée caught the attention of fashion editor Birte Strandgaard while she was still working as a cashier. In July 1981 she graced on the cover of the Danish magazine Fotokino.
Not a year later, Renée appeared in American Vogue and began getting more and more recognition.
She was dating (and at one point engaged to) Duran Duran bass player John Taylor during the 80s. Renée appeared for Clarins, Maybelline and Covergirl ads, as well as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
She was invited to audition for a Bond girl but chose to pursue a university degree instead (talk about picking brains over books!).
Renée started publishing her writing in 2003 and has since won various awards and even had one book turned into a movie.
She married Danish rock singer Thomas Helmig in 2000 and has a son by him. Renée has two other children with Kristian Sandvad. Her two eldest are actually models themselves.
Her daughter, Ulrikke Simonsen has already walked the runway for various European brands and is slowly becoming one of the best known Danish models herself.
Heidi Albertsen
Heidi was born in Copenhagen and had various odd jobs throughout her childhood. At 10, she started delivering newspapers and later worked as a salesgirl at a candy store. She was also a dishwasher at a local restaurant, and even helped out in a butchery.
Unlike other Danish models, Heidi did not always look this great. As a kid, she struggled with obesity and had her fair share of bullying for it.
Once she got rid of the puppy fat, though, Heidi was ready for the catwalk. At just 17, she won the 1993 Elite Model Look World Final, competing with over 35K other participants.
She has been on the cover of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Shape, Woman, M!, as well as various fitness magazines. Quite a long way from the girl they called “The Witch” back in high school.
With her binge eating in control and her modelling career in full bloom, Heidi seems to have it all. She won Fitness magazine’s Body of the Year in 2000 and has not looked back ever since.
Apart from modelling, Heidi has also worked as an actress and has made appearances on TV shows (including MasterChef where she truly made an impression).
She is an ambassador for various charity organizations, including Lower Eastside Service Center (LESC) who works with mental disorder sufferers and people with substance abuse issues.
Heidi now lives and works in the US, but she only attained citizenship in 2016 (in spite of over a decade in the country and having paid more in taxes than most of us will in a lifetime).
Heidi is also one of the Danish models with the longest running careers. At 41, she is still active in the industry, looks as gorgeous (if not more gorgeous than) a lot of 20-year-olds and is not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
She opened up about her health journey on Fox News and advocates for a healthy, balanced, active lifestyle.
Danish Models: Take Your Pick
Danish models are stunning but which one do you think should be called the most beautiful? It’s okay if you decide to say neither and go for one of those stunning women on the streets of Copenhagen instead.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts, tips, and stories in the comments below. Happy travels!
