All about Bar Rafaeli

Bar Refaeli (Hebrew: בר רפאלי‎; born 4 June 1985) is an Israeli model and occasional actress. She was the cover model of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and was voted #1 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list of 2012.

Bar Refaeli was born into an Israeli Jewish family in Hod HaSharon, Israel. Her parents, Rafael and Tzipi, own a horse ranch. Her mother was a successful Israeli model in the 1970s under her maiden name, Tzipi Levine. Refaeli has three brothers. She began a modeling career at the age of eight months, appearing in commercials. Refaeli had to wear braces in her early years, interrupting her modeling until age 15, when she returned to modeling with the representation of Irene Marie Models.

Modeling career

Refaeli began her modeling career before the age of 8 months for a baby commercial. By age 15, she was featured in campaigns for the fashion brands Castro and Pilpel, also starring in a commercial for Milky. Refaeli won the title "Model of The Year" in an Israeli beauty contest in 2000.

Refaeli has appeared in ELLE (France), Maxim, and GQ (Italy). She debuted in the 2007 Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Issue, becoming the first Israeli model to appear in the magazine, posing with rock band Aerosmith. In 2009, Refaeli was the covermodel for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. A photo from the shoot, featuring a bikini-clad Refaeli, was painted on the side of a Boeing 737 in a promotional deal with Southwest Airlines, leading to criticism of Southwest from passengers for using an image they regarded as inappropriately sexual and "offensive to families". In October of the same year, Refaeli was again embroiled in controversy, when Haredi groups criticised a Tel Aviv billboard campaign in which she appeared semi-nude, alleging that it could "poison" the public. The billboards were subsequently removed.

She has modeled for Subaru, Accessorize, Brazilian clothing line Besni, Italian jewelry line Marco Bicego, and Rampage. In 2009, she modeled for Garnier International.

On 5 March 2009, Refaeli received the "World Style Award," presented by the Women's World Awards, for her "natural elegance, sense of style and compassion." In October of the same year, Refaeli co-hosted Fashionable Istanbul's press conference announcing their October 2009 fashion event, also appearing in its advertising.Refaeli was voted #42 in 2008, #57 in 2010, and #97 in 2011 in the FHM "100 Sexiest Women" list and came in first onMaxim's Hot 100 list of 2012.

Film and television career

Refaeli co-starred in the Israeli TV series Pick Up in 2005. In October 2008, she co-hosted the Bravo special program Tommy Hilfiger Presents Ironic Iconic America, based on the book Ironic Iconic America written by George Lois. She returned as a program host in 2009, this time for MTV's brief revival of House of Style.

On 18 January 2011, Refaeli attended the premiere of the English-language movie Session in Israel in which she starred. Directed by Israeli Haim Bouzaglo, the film is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a manipulative psychologist who becomes obsessed with a new young patient.

She served as a guest judge on cycle four of Germany's Next Topmodel hosted by Heidi Klum.

Business venture

In 2011, Refaeli and Dudi Balsar, an attorney and former model, set up an E-commerce company called Undeez that will sell designer underwear. The company is slated to go online in November 2011. By November 2011, the company had raised $1 million in venture capital funds.