Victoria Secret's model Sara Sampaio may be wild about Harry, but if she is, she's not saying.
In Houston to tout the retailer's new Body by Victoria line, as well as the Victoria's Secret Body Care Collection and Tease fragrance, the gorgeous 24-year-old Portuguese model clammed up when asked what's going on with her and One Direction singer Harry Styles, whom she has closely been linked in the tabloids.
But on just about every other subject, from how heavy those angel wings are to her affinity for Carl's Jr. burgers and the one beverage she avoids, the model, who has also made a name for herself in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, was more forthcoming.
CultureMap: What's it like being a Victoria's Secret model?
Sara Sampaio: The past two or three years, I've been mainly with their Pink line. And now I feel like I've graduated. For me, it made me grow up so much as a woman. I started working with them when I was about 19-20. Now I'm 24. I feel like I kind of grew up with them. I see myself in sexy lingerie. It made me feel more confident. I love working with them.
"My last year's (wings) were very light. I forgot that I had them on and I kept poking everyone's eyes."
CM: How has it changed your life?
SS: It changed my life completely. I owe a lot to Victoria's Secret. They made my career jump like crazy. It's like people take you more serious. There's only been a small select group, so it's a huge honor to get an Angel contract. It give you a voice. It puts a name to your face, and that's very important.
CM: How heavy are those Angel wings anyway?
SS: Actually, I'm very lucky. My last year's (wings) were very light. I forgot that I had them on and I kept poking everyone's eyes.
CM: What do you like most about modeling?
SS: I like traveling, to be honest, and I hate it. It's like the best and worst part of it. You get to meet so many people, work with incredibly creative people. You get to go to places that you never thought of. They take you to warm places in the winter. It's pretty good.
CM: Do you feel like you're a role model in any way?
SS: I try to be but I also not try to think too much about that, because I'm in my early 20s and I'm going to make mistakes. I think that's how I learn from them and come back from them and hopefully girls can see it. I don't try to be perfect because no one is and I'm definitely not. Especially being in the spotlight makes you have to be more careful.
"I'm in my early 20s and I'm going to make mistakes. I think that's how I learn from them and come back from them and hopefully girls can see it."
CM: How do you stay in shape?
SS: I'm a bit lazy so I need to have people motivate me, sometimes my friends, sometimes my personal trainer. Sometimes my personal trainer has to text me, "It's time to work out." And I'm like, "No, I don't want to."
CM: What's your favorite way to work out?
SS: I've been doing some classes at Physique 57 (a New York exercise studio that also offers videos). It's more like a barre class, it's a lot of toning. If I've been traveling a lot and I have an important shoot that I need to get in shape very quick, I just run. To me, it works very well. But mostly just resistance training, very slow movements and short movements to tone your all your body.
CM: Are there foods you avoid?
SS: Not really. I eat everything. But I just stopped drinking milk because it was breaking my skin out.
CM: What about Carl's Jr. burgers?
SS: That was a fun shoot. I had to eat a lot of burgers. (Editor's Note: See the ad below.)
CM: What is your favorite product in the Victoria's Secret Body Line?
SS: I love what they did with the new lace. It's smoother and doesn't show under your clothes. For me, that's very important because I love lace.
See Sampaio's sizzling hamburger ad:
Sara Sampaio also recently appeared in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
Celebrity Leslie Bibb is a fan of the Houston-based brand 11 Juillet. Photo courtesy of 11 Juillet
