Top Model: Lara Stone

The name says it all. Cheekbones carved out of marble, pale skin and white-blonde hair, Lara Stone is a Dutch stunner. With the looks of a cold, ruthless Bond girl, Stone is definitely one of the fashion world's top models, appearing in multiple designer ad campaigns and runway shows each season.

Lara Catherina Stone was born to a Dutch mother and English father on Dec. 20, 1983. Raised in the Netherlands, Stone was scouted in the Paris Metro at the tender age of 12. She quickly entered modeling competitions, signing first with Elite Model Management in 1999 and IMG in 2006.

In a world of beauties, Stone still manages to stand out. Despite being 5'10, she wears a size 7 shoe, which gives Stone a noticeably different runway walk from that of other models. Cathy Horyn, The New York Times fashion critic, has quipped, "She walks like Lurch." Stone has admitted to having a different gait; fashion designers even have to give her specific footwear so she doesn't fall on the catwalk.

Stone is also frequently compared to '60s French bombshell Brigitte Bardot. Both women are blonde, buxom and have noticeable gaps in their front teeth. "They say in French that it's good luck," Stone has remarked. This seems to be true — Vogue Parishas done many photo shoots with Stone, even dedicating the entire February 2009 issue to her. W Magazine declared her "the most-wanted face of the moment" in August 2009. She has also become a favorite of brands like Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Versace, MaxMara and Prada, to name a few.

Despite her success, Stone has not avoided her share of personal woes. She was admitted to rehab for alcohol abuse in 2009, and famously donned blackface for a controversial Vogue Paris shoot that same year. Last month, Stone won a lawsuit against French Playboy for publishing unauthorized nude photos.

Happily, though, Stone recently married British comedian David Williams. She is also the new face of the fragrances "Versus" by Versace and "Infusion D'Iris" by Prada, and has an exclusive contract with Calvin Klein. It seems as though Stone's star will only continue to get brighter in the fashion world.