When she was 10, her father had had enough of listening to her talking about such dreams and he answered an ad in the newspaper. The Group agency was looking for models and it didn't take long for them to sign Vanessa up once they saw what she had to offer. For the next few years, it was a very hectic time for young Vanessa. Mornings were spent in school, she had four hours of ballet lessons in the afternoon, and every free moment she had was spent going to casting calls. While other teenagers were preoccupied with acne and the opposite sex, Vanessa was pouring her heart into her modeling career. At 15, she was absolutely sure that modeling was her calling. Now getting older, Vanessa's body was mature enough to play in the big leagues and soon she was being photographed by professionals like Jose Manuel Ferrater. Ready to take the next step, Vanessa quit high school and made modeling the focus of her life. In the early '90s, Vanessa Lorenzo entered the Elite Look of the Year modeling competition. This was her chance to introduce herself to the rest of the fashion universe, and the outcome was that she didn't win the pageant but finished second instead. Shortly after, at the age of 17, Vanessa left home and Spain altogether to relocate to Paris. It was her first time living on her own, but she wouldn't let that distract her from her dream of becoming a world-famous supermodel. She wanted to work with the best photographers and the biggest fashion houses. Even though she didn't speak any French or English, she was rushed to London to work on the Pepe Jeans campaign the day after she arrived. This would be the start of her international career. She lived in the French capital for three years and it wasn't always a remarkable experience for Vanessa. She got homesick and frequently returned to Spain to see her family. She recalls that Parisians were cold and unfriendly, which made it difficult for her to feel accepted and get ahead in her profession. Vanessa then tried her hand at acting. She had previously briefly appeared in the little-seen Spanish movie Entreacte (1989), but it didn't leave an impression. Following a long casting session, she was chosen by Leonardo Pieraccioni to be one of the female leads in Fuochi d'artificio (Fireworks, 1997). In this Italian romantic comedy, Vanessa played a wealthy sex monster and it was a box-office hit in Italy. The following year, she starred in a short film called El topo y el hada and there was talk of her starring in a vampire movie, but it was never made. After she left Paris, Vanessa relocated to New York City where she signed with the International Management Group (IMG) agency. This was the right move because it has allowed her to model for labels like Giorgio Armani, L'Oreal, Escada, Laura Biagiotti, Pantene, Christian Dior, Gap, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and Victoria's Secret. In magazines, she has been seen in Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire, and the 2002 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Even better, she has made the covers of Cosmopolitan, Self, Glamour, Lucky, Elle, Vogue, Amica, Woman, and Neo. Despite her busy schedule filled with photo shoots and schmoozing, Vanessa still finds time to relax and enjoy the best New York has to offer along with her boyfriend, fellow Spanish model Jordi Rosello. AskMen