The Stunning Transformation Of Vittoria Ceretti

From literal rags to riches, the Italian-born model, Vittoria Ceretti has been at the forefront of fashion since her accidental stumble into the industry. Unlike many, this passion derived from her awareness of her seamless transition from a small-town girl to a well-sought-after talent. While she landed gigs for several fashion publications, including Harper's Bazaar and Elle, her extensive work with Vogue has been worth noting, earning her the achievement of being featured in their American, British, France, and Italia publications — otherwise known as "The Big Four." This title is also shared with Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell, another supermodel who accidentally found fame.

Her trajectory into supermodel stardom throughout the 2010s was nothing short of spectacular. Since her debut, Ceretti has continued to find massive success while keeping a fraction of her personal life intact. As a self-proclaimed private person, she's worked hard to keep the public focused on her career, from her working relationship with one of fashion's greatest designers to the new achievements she's garnered after 10-plus years as a model. This is only a treat to us as we've been able to watch Ceretti transform from a young ambitious model to an undeniable megastar. To learn more about her never-ending growth, here is the stunning transformation of Vittoria Ceretti.

Born on June 7, 1998, Vittoria Ceretti came from a little town named Brescia in Italy. Her father, Giuseppe Ceretti, owned a flooring company while her mother, Francesca Ceretti, stayed at home. While there isn't much information regarding Ceretti's relationship with her father, her relationship with her mother has been well documented. According to Vittoria's interview with Elle in 2024, her mother always knew she was beautiful. "At the hospital nursery, the doctor on her first visit said, 'How beautiful is that baby?!'" Francesca recalled. So once Vittoria made her way into the modeling industry, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to her. As Vittoria's prominent features played a part in her finding success as a model, her upbringing allowed her to remain grounded through it all.

Vittoria told Elle that, as a child, her mother's full-time gig as a housewife allowed her and her brother, Guglielmo Ceretti, to have a dedicated parental figure throughout most of their childhood. As someone who's based her success on kindness, Vittoria suggested that her mother played a notable role in helping her stay down-to-earth. "My mom was a housewife. She only always took care of me and my brother growing up," she said. "She never worked, so she had the time and the chance to do that, which was amazing."

Aside from being deemed a beautiful baby, Vittoria Ceretti didn't have aspirations to become a model early on. Given her parent's occupation — and her several interests outside of modeling — it seemed that Ceretti was comfortable leading a normal life. Her love for modeling only came as a result of a joke between her and her cousin, which accidentally became an opportunity for her to enter the modeling industry. 

While vlogging with Vogue during her time in New York City in 2021, Ceretti briefly spoke about getting her start as a model at just 14 years old. "When I was 14, as a joke — literally a joke with my cousin — we decided to send pictures to this agency that was doing this contest that's called Elite Model Look. They sent an email back and they were like, 'Oh, we actually want to see you,'" she recalled. "Then I had to tell my mom, and I was like, 'Mom, listen, I did this.' And that's how I started." Luckily, her mother was supportive and even traveled alongside Ceretti during her earlier years of modeling. Despite being intimidated by the other models handpicked by the agency, Ceretti admitted that she didn't take it seriously at first due to her entrance into the competition initially being a joke. "I had no clue, it was literally a joke," she stated. "But now I'm here."

Since becoming a finalist in an Elite Model Look competition at just 14 years old, Vittoria Ceretti has consistently achieved great success each year. Shortly after aligning herself with one of the most prestigious modeling agencies, Ceretti suggested to Vogue Italia in 2016 that it didn't take long for her to walk her first runway. "My first show was in Milan," she said. "It was [for designer] Kristina Ti — I was super stressed because I was so little, but it was a lot of fun."

What came after was a string of collaborations with reputable clothing brands like Fendi, Givenchy, and Chanel. Her first, however, happened to be for Dolce & Gabbana. In 2014, Ceretti modeled for the debut of its Fall and Winter collection, sporting medieval-esque pieces in both its publication and visual campaign. Ceretti continued to work heavily with the company as she later became the face of their Summer Shine Collection in 2015. Due to it being her first major gig, Ceretti expressed her gratitude to be given such an opportunity early on to Vogue. "I will always thank them for all the opportunities they gave me when I was younger," she stated. "Working with them feels like being home. They're amazing people who work hard and love their job, and there is always a fun energy whenever you're around the team." Although the truth about Dolce & Gabanna may not always be pretty, working with the brand was clearly a huge stepping stone for Ceretti. 

Although her venture into the modeling industry started as a joke, things quickly became serious when prestigious companies sought after Vittoria Ceretti. Since this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it makes sense for Ceretti to fully invest her time into the profession. Due to her age, it's safe to assume that juggling a rising career with school would become a daunting task. During a 2017 interview with Vogue, Ceretti only confirmed those notions but due to a different reason entirely. "I went to school like everyone else, but I hated it, and I always had a lot of problems," she said. "Even my younger brother Guglielmo is the same way: we can't stay cooped up in a room for hours, listening."

While academics weren't her strong suit, this didn't stop Ceretti from having aspirations of becoming a psychologist, which is a field of work she briefly studied during her time in school. Thanks to this, Ceretti told Elle in 2017 that this has made her the go-to friend for advice in her friend group. "I studied psychology in school," she stated. "And I learned how to understand people's feelings. ... I've always had it inside — this ability to read people, how to get into someone else's head and help them with their problems. And I love when people trust me with their feelings and I can get into any kind of dialogue with them about their inner stuff. I think it's the thing I enjoy most besides modeling." 

The year 2016 was pivotal for Vittoria Ceretti as she grew from an amateur model to a professional one. For starters, this would be the first year she'd be nominated as Model of the Year, featuring other notable acts like Kendall Jenner and plus-size model Ashley Graham. Although this was an award she'd be nominated for each year, she'd never win it. Despite this, her nominations meant she was beginning to launch herself into modeling success, which she found the same year as she crossed off a huge goal on her bucket list.

After working exclusively with Dolce & Gabbana, Ceretti set her sights on another well-known clothing brand, Prada. Founded in the early 1900s in Milan, Italy, the company became a powerhouse within the fashion industry. As someone born in Italy, working with Prada was undoubtedly a huge goal for Ceretti after becoming a model. Luckily, she was able to do so as she became one of the various faces in their 2016 campaign, sporting their sunglasses and other accessories. In a 2016 interview with Vogue, Ceretti recalled the experience being extremely important for her at the time. "I've always wanted to walk Prada since I'm Italian," she explained. "It was really a big thing for me."

According to Vittoria Ceretti, her first beauty contract proved to be a huge milestone in her career. The company that provided her the contract just so happened to be Chanel, which she worked with extensively throughout 2018. This got her to get connected with legendary fashion designer and Chanel's creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, who appeared to have taken a liking to Ceretti. While the designer passed away in 2019, Ceretti had the privilege to showcase some of his last clothing pieces in a 2019 couture show. Coined his last "couture bride," Ceretti told Elle in 2024 how much Lagerfeld wanted Ceretti to be a part of it. "He showed me pictures before they started designing it, six months beforehand," she recalled. "He was like, 'I had this dream a few nights ago. I woke up in the middle of the night, started drawing this dress, and called into the studio the next morning and said, 'No one is wearing it unless Vittoria can wear it to walk the show.'"

His influence left a mark on the model as she'd frequently pay homage to the designer and her dear friend for the opportunity she was given. So much so, that in 2023, she penned a sentimental Instagram post expressing her gratitude for Lagerfeld 4 years after his passing. "You gave me so much. I will be grateful for you forever!" she wrote.

It's only expected that Vittoria Ceretti's sustainable success within the modeling industry will encourage the public to pry into her personal life. As someone who's deemed herself a private person, Ceretti prefers to shroud herself in mystery, only giving insight into her life when it revolves around her modeling career. Despite this, Ceretti couldn't keep one of her biggest milestones a secret. In 2020, Ceretti took to Instagram to announce that she married Matteo Milleri, a notable Italian-American DJ and one-half of the music group, Tale of Us.  

The two allegedly connected through a mutual friend. Given their common interest in art, Ceretti and Milleri began to build a relationship with each other, culminating in the two getting married in 2020. The wedding ceremony was small, with only a few people at the event in Ibiza. During a segment with Vogue Italia in 2022, Ceretti shared personal items she likes to carry with her as she travels, one of which being a picture of the two during their wedding day. She then spoke briefly about why the ceremony was as small as it was. "It was just after lockdown, so our family and friends couldn't travel, which on the one hand is obviously a shame, but on the other hand it was very intimate and we enjoyed it very much," she said. "It was very romantic." Unfortunately, by June 2023, Milleri and Ceretti decided to call it quits just 3 years after marrying each other.

In 2022, the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Depp, spoke with Elle and she discussed several topics regarding her acting career. Aside from her decision to stay mostly silent while dad Johnny Depp was in court with Amber Heard, Lily addressed the allegations of her benefiting from nepotism. Despite being the daughter of two well-known celebrities, the "Idol" actor defended her work and dismissed any influence of nepotism in her career, which stirred up a plethora of negative reactions on social media. Vittoria Ceretti took this time to also share her opinion on social media.

On her Instagram story, Ceretti penned a lengthy statement declaring that children who have benefited from nepotism shouldn't shy away from the notion (via The Independent). As someone who alleged that they've struggled early on in their career, Ceretti wrote, "I get the whole 'I'm here and I work for it', but I would really love to see if you would have lasted through the first 5 years of my career." From noting specific circumstances where rejection wasn't avoidable for her, Ceretti prompted "nepo babies" to be aware of their privilege rather than fighting against it. "I have many nepo baby friends whom I respect, but I can't stand listening to you compare yourself to me... I know it's not your fault, but please, appreciate and know the place you came from," she said.

In 2023, Vittoria Ceretti divorced her husband Matteo Milleri after three years. Afterward, it wouldn't take long for Ceretti to jump into another relationship. The only difference is that this time, it'd be with an acting megastar. After the two were first being spotted together in August 2023, Ceretti was quickly labeled the rumored new girlfriend of Leonardo DiCaprio. As expected, information regarding the two and how they met is scarce. Page Six, however, confirmed that the two were officially dating after spotting the two in several public outings throughout the year. 

In November 2023, an insider told Us Weekly that the two are seemingly serious about each other. Aside from their differences in age and career paths, the insider suggested that their relationship has been nothing but positive. "She's not intimidated by his fame at all — she even makes fun of it, 'the model and the movie star,'" the insider told the publication. "Leo finds it refreshing." Her comfort with DiCaprio's unique lifestyle was even more apparent in 2024 when another insider told In Touch that "she is proving she's very invested in getting to know and love him on every level." Ceretti and DiCaprio's romance even sparked buzzy engagement rumors after Ceretti was spotted wearing a ring on her left hand. The rumors are seemingly just that, as sources close to the two quickly debunked the news. Aside from their marital status, it appears the two are enjoying each other's company very much.

Given her status as a well-respected model, one would assume that Vittoria Ceretti had accomplished it all within the modeling industry. From her countless appearances for clothing brands like Gucci and Chanel to being one of the few models to have starred in "The Big Four" Vogue publications, her career was drenched with success year after year. Surprisingly, however, there was one company that she somehow missed during her rise to stardom. Luckily, by 2024, she worked with them exclusively, garnering yet another incredible feat. 

In 2024, Ceretti made an appearance at a Victoria's Secret fashion show. To our surprise, Ceretti told Page Six that this was actually her first time working the runway for the company. "This is my first show!" she told the publication. "I have moments where I'm excited, moments where I'm nervous, moments where I'm scared, but I know that overall, we're going to have so much fun." As someone with her experience, it only became more apparent that this was uncharted territory for Ceretti as she appeared anxious, yet excited, for this opportunity during a quick interview with Vogue Adria for their TikTok. "The secret to Victoria's Secret walk, I'm not sure because this is my first one," she explained. "So, I'm still figuring it out, and I feel like after rehearsals yesterday, I have a lot more confidence, and I think the key is just to have fun." We're sure many of the most famous Victoria's Secret fashion show models of all time would agree.