Victoria’s Secret's top supermodels: Before the fame (and stylists!)

On the heels of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, which aired its one-hour lingerie-filled special last night, it seems a great time to check out what some of the most famous VS “Angels” looked like back when they were just mere mortals.

While many of these women have expanded into areas far beyond modeling, such as acting or producing, our friends at Snakkle.com tracked down photos of some of the world’s top supermodels, way before the fame.

PHOTOS: See all 34 pics in the “Supermodels: Before the fame”gallery

Heidi Klum
Even at 19, Heidi Klum was a hot ticket. We’re not sure exactly what she’s wearing in the photo above but she sure is selling it to us. Years later, Heidi was the first German model to become a Victoria's Secret Angel at age 24 in 1997. Now, at age 39 and with a brood of kids, Klum has grown her brand and name beyond just a modeling career. She’s become television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and an occasional actress. She was even nominated for and Emmy in 2008 for “Project Runway” which just celebrated its 10th Season this past summer.

Brooklyn Decker
At just 25 years old, Brooklyn Decker is already a stand-out actress and top supermodel. What’s not to love about her? She's gorgeous and seems to have a sense of humor—her Twitter page features a pic of Ms. Decker picking her nose. Decker is married to tennis king Andy Roddick, and often spotted in the audience watching his matches. Following her success as a Sport Illustrated cover model and Victoria’s Secret Angel, Brooklyn seems to have locked in a successful acting career, having appeared alongside some huge Hollywood names in “Just Go With It” and “Battleship.” most recently, she starred in “What to Expect When You're Expecting.”

Tyra Banks
Wow! Like her hero African-American model Beverly Johnson, Tyra broke new ground by becoming the first Black woman to appear on the covers of “GQ” and the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue” before working for Victoria's Secret as one of their original Angels. Tyra has also found success as an actress. She’s hosted her own popular daytime talk show, and created the mega-hit reality series “America's Next Top Model.” And she hasn't even turned 40 yet. Tyra's post-supermodel success story is still being written, and we mean that literally; Ms. Banks recently published her first novel, “Modelland,” which she hopes will become an ongoing series of books. Her book made the New York Times best seller list in October 2011.

PHOTOS: See all 34 pics in the “Supermodels: Before the fame”gallery