'Real beauty is to be true to oneself. That's what makes me feel good.'
- Laetitia Casta


At 5'8" with her long dark blonde hair framing her alluring face and bright blue eyes, Laetitia Casta is voluptuous, youthful and sensual. She is the essence of the GUESS image in it's advertising. Born in Normandy on the 11th of May 1978, she is the middle child of father Dominique and mother Line. Laetitia (which means 'joy' in Latin) enjoyed drawing and writing stories at an early age, but it wasn't until she turned 15 that her true talent was discovered. While on a beach near Corsica she was approached by a photographer and agent of a prestigious Paris modeling agency, Madison Models.

Once her father finally agreed to the agency taking some test photographs, her unmistakable potential was recognized by the founder of Madison Models - despite the fact that the shoot occurred without the aid of makeup and a designer wardroom which many models rely on to promote themselves. However, her career did not begin to take off until the director of the French edition of Elle saw and was impressed with Laetitia's looks.

Modeling contracts and appearances in magazines quickly ensued. Paul Marciano - founder and art director of Guess? who is incidentally accredited for the success of Claudia Schiffer - was taken by Casta's near perfection. Her work in the Guess ad (she became their new front Girl) was her debut advertising campaign. Shot by Neil Kirk in Jamaica in October 1994, it allowed Americans to become acquainted with Casta. Thanks to Marciano, Guess has brought her international exposure and recognition.