Born in
Turin,
Italy in 1968, Carla Bruni moved to
Paris at the tender age of five, before spending much of her childhood at a
boarding school in
Switzerland. The result of her upbringing is that she is fluent in both
French and
Italian. On leaving school, Carla began studying
art and
architecture in
Paris.
Carla's brother's girlfriend suggested she try modelling, and, aged 19, that's what she did. Her portfolio was seized upon by Paul Marciano, president and creative director of Guess?. This led to a very successful advertising campaign, which in turn led to Carla's becoming a household name.
Especially during the 1990s, Carla's face appeared on countless covers of fashion magazines. A string of high-profile love affairs with the likes of Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger thrust the model even further into the limelight.
In 2002, Carla produced an album which surprised the French record-buying public. Quelqu'un m'a dit is a surprisingly witty, eloquent and well-written record. With its emergence, Carla proved that she is more than just a pretty face or a rock star's accessory.
As of February 2008, Carla has been married to Nicolas Sarkozy, French President. They met around three months before the secret wedding held at the Elysée Palace. The President got divorced from his previous wife Cécilia in October 2007.