Julia Stegner

Julia, the daughter of the Central European sales manager for a large American company and an accountant, was raised in an animal-loving household with many dogs alongside her older sister, who currently works in film production. For seven years she was a child model, appearing in commercials and children's catalogs, and for nine years was trained in dance.

In high school she discovered a passion for playing basketball, and eventually she joined a club team in Munich. Being nearly 6' tall, she was naturally fit for the sport; her classmates even called her "Bean Bar" because of her towering height. She met her policeman boyfriend, Konstantin, while playing.

At 15, while celebrating Oktoberfest in her hometown, she was discovered by a talent scout who recognized her potential for modeling greatness. Although planning to study accounting when she left high school, Julia moved to Paris to pursue modeling after graduating high school instead.

There, she made her first major cover appearance, for ELLE magazine. She was signed by Supreme Management and, within four months, was opening the 2002 Yves Saint Laurent show. In 2003, she did Strenesse and Sportmax campaigns, among others.

By 2004, Julia had built an impressive resume and was in high demand. By the summer of that year, she had done work for Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and Club Monaco. She also modeled for the 2005 Pirelli Calendar.