Bianca Balti just proved why she is still Italy’s most beloved supermodel. At the opening red carpet of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2026, Bianca Balti arrived as an angel.

The Italian top model stopped every camera on the Lido in a pastel-pink gown with sculptural white wings built into the back. It was not just a dress. It was a statement of return, strength, and pure Italian glamour.

If you love fashion, you need to know her story.

1. Who is Bianca Balti?

Bianca Balti (pronounced [ˈbjaŋka ˈbalti]) was born on 19 March 1984 in Lodi, Lombardy, Italy. She is 1.73 m tall, with brown hair and iconic blue eyes. She is represented by Wilhelmina Models in New York, IMG Models in Paris, Brave Model Management in Milan and Storm Management in London.

But she did not dream of modeling as a child. She was studying and working as a promo girl for a shampoo company when she was scouted at age 20. A year later, her life changed forever.

2. The Dolce & Gabbana Breakthrough

Bianca Balti’s career took off when she was part of the Spring/Summer 2005 Dolce & Gabbana campaign. She went on to work for 10 more years with the brand, becoming their leading lady.

Her first big cover was L’Officiel, shot by Alexi Lubomirski. Then came everything: Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and even Playboy.

Dolce & Gabbana made her the face of their Light Blue fragrance in 2013, a role she still holds today. In 2012 she was chosen alongside Monica Bellucci as the new face of the brand. As Vogue wrote, Bianca Balti remains Dolce & Gabbana’s leading lady.

3. A True Supermodel Resume

Few models have a resume like Bianca Balti. Her campaigns include Roberto Cavalli, Donna Karan, Christian Dior, Valentino, Armani Jeans, Missoni, Rolex, Guess?, Paco Rabanne, Anna Molinari, Guerlain, Revlon, La Perla, Cesare Paciotti, Mango, and Thierry Mugler.

On the runway since Spring/Summer 2005, she has walked for Shiatzy Chen, Karl Lagerfeld, Gianfranco Ferré, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Zac Posen, Hermès, John Galliano, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior, Versace, Oscar de la Renta, Narciso Rodriguez, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera and Victoria’s Secret.

Yes, she also appeared in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2005 and in their catalogs, a milestone that confirmed her as a global top model.

4. From Catwalk to Screen

Bianca Balti was never just a model. In 2008 she was cast by Abel Ferrara in his movie Go Go Tales as one of the erotic dancers. She made her film debut in Go Go Tales (2007) and later became famous for Ferro (2020).

She also worked as a TV presenter, hosting BeastMasters for Italy in 2018. In 2025 she co-hosted the second night of the Sanremo Music Festival alongside Cristiano Malgioglio, Nino Frassica and Carlo Conti, showing her wit and perfect Italian style on Italy’s biggest stage.

5. Love, Family and Motherhood

Bianca Balti was married to Italian photographer Christian Lucidi from 2006 to 2010, with whom she had her daughter Matilde in 2007.

On 14 April 2015, she gave birth to her second daughter Mia McRae with her American boyfriend Matthew McRae, whom she met in Marbella, Spain. They married at the Fullerton courthouse on 1 August 2016 and renewed their vows a year later in front of family and friends.

She has always balanced high fashion with real family life between Italy and California.

6. The Brave Battle That Changed Everything

In 2022, Bianca Balti underwent a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she carried a variant of the BRCA1 gene. She showed her scars with pride, turning a private decision into a public message of prevention.

In September 2024, she revealed that she had started chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. She posted about it openly, without filters. The fashion world stood still. For months she documented her treatment, hair loss, and hope.

That is why her appearance at Venice 2026 means so much more.

7. Venice 2026: The Angel Returns

The 83rd Venice Film Festival opened its 10-day run on September 2 on the Lido, and one of the first looks to stop the red carpet belonged to Bianca Balti.

The Italian model arrived at the opening ceremony in a custom pale pink Ilya Migmoon gown. The strapless corset bodice has pointed conical cups reminiscent of Madonna’s Like a Virgin, while the skirt is form-fitting with draping across the hips and a flowing train. The most eye-catching detail: a pair of large white feathered angel wings rising from the back.

Italian supermodel Bianca Balti wore matching Bvlgari jewels with a colorful statement necklace, and a new dark bob haircut, the most graphic bob of Venice 2026. As ELLE Canada noted, she wore a candy floss-coloured gown with matching angel wings and Bvlgari jewels.

Photographers went crazy. As YouTube coverage said: “Bianca Balti made a dramatic appearance on the opening red carpet of the 83rd Venice Film Festival… the most eye-catching detail: a pair of large white wings.”

It was the perfect metaphor. After two years of battles, Bianca Balti returned as an angel. Not a fragile angel, but a strong, Italian, couture angel.

Bianca Balti is more than a top model. She is proof that beauty can be brave, and that the red carpet can be a place for a comeback.

Which Bianca Balti moment is your favorite?