Celebrity Mound

Israeli model Bar Refaeli shows the world just why she was chosen as the face of Passionata’s underwear range in a sizzling new advertising campaign.

The 24-year-old strips off to pose in a series of sexy lingerie in the new Autumn/Winter 2010 collection.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s on/off girlfriend was unveiled as the face and body of the French firm last November.

As the sizzling new shots were unveiled, Refaeli disappointed male fans in Paris yesterday when she turned up to the Passionata photocall… with her clothes on.

Despite being paid a healthy sum to be the face and body of the Passionata underwear range, the leggy blonde is so successful now she left the lingerie modelling to a group of lesser known models.

While being considerably more covered up than the scantily clad models, Refaeli still looked sexy in a figure-hugging little black dress and a pair of Christian Louboutin heels.

After posing for the cameras in her tight mini, Refaeli was then presented with a bunch of roses by one of the lingerie-clad beauties.

Her lucrative role as the face of Passionata comes after another high-profile modelling job for Garnier hair care.

While Refaeli’s modelling career has been going from strength to strength, she has found herself hitting the headlines again in her native Israel.

Far right Israeli group Lehava have urged Refaeli not to marry her long-term love DiCaprio because he is not Jewish.

Last month, Refaeli denied reports she was engaged to DiCaprio after a four-year on/off relationship.

The engagement rumors were prompted after she was photographed wearing a ring on her wedding finger.

However, she said: ‘No, there wasn’t (a proposal) – let me explain: these rings, which are beautiful and made by a friend of mine, won’t fit any other finger except this one.

‘Yeah, what can I do? I’m 24 and there’s still time. I’m in no hurry. I’m happy with where I am.’

We hear the Israeli beauty – aka Leonardo DiCaprio’s ladylove – looked anything but pleased as she arrived to the mag’s party Tuesday night at the Gansevoort Hotel’s club Provocateur.

“She had a scowl on her face and wouldn’t even look up for photographers who had been waiting for hours in the freezing cold outside,” our spy says.

“She even walked right by fans who were pleading for her to sign her past issues of Sports Illustrated.”

Bar finally gave in – but only after hearing that Decker indeed stopped for admirers.

“Brooklyn had stood in a tiny mini-dress posing with the same fans,” our snitch says. “When Bar tried to walk by, one finally yelled ‘But Brooklyn did it!’ – and that got her attention.

“Bar then turned around, begrudgingly retraced her steps and agreed to do the same. But she still looked pretty miserable throughout the night.”

And perhaps she had good reason: 24-year-old Bar was rumored to be the top pick for this year’s cover over 22-year-old Decker.

“After pictures of Bar’s shoot were leaked on the Internet, a lot of people thought it would be her,” an insider dished of the stunner, who made her SI debut in 2007 and covered the mag in 2009. “Two years in a row would have been a huge accomplishment for her. It makes sense that she would be disappointed.”

And we can’t help wonder if maybe there’s a personal competition, too: Both of the beauties hang with high-profile men – Decker married tennis heartthrob Andy Roddick last April, and Bar has dated Leo on and off since she was 19.

Said a second insider: “They are both very much in the spotlight right now, and the SI cover just nudged Brooklyn a little bit ahead.”

Bar Refaeli strikes a seductive pose as she perches on a swing in racy black lingerie, complete with a ruffled skirt and stockings.
In other shots, the Israeli model adopts some flower power in the Sixties-inspired photoshoot, wearing floral accessories in her hair.

The 24-year-old is pictured for lingerie firm Passionata after being announced as the new face and body of the brand.

Earlier in the week Bar ran into trouble, however, after billboard pictures of her wearing only a blanket for a different campaign in Tel Aviv had to be replaced with a more modest photo.

The Fox clothing company on Monday changed two giant billboards following complaints from the fervently Orthodox community.

The billboards had featured the scantily clad Israeli supermodel on a bed with Israeli Survivor star Noam Tor.

Some Orthodox groups had threatened to boycott the popular clothing chain.

Lingerie brand Passionata says their pictures were inspired by Sixties sex symbol Brigitte Bardot and were meant to be ‘sensual’ while putting a ‘modern twist on the Sixties’.

Refaeli was styled as a 1960s-inspired pin-up and photographed by fashion photographer Greg Kadel.

She officially takes up the mantle as the face of the firm from early next year and is seen here modelling the spring collection, which is available from early next year.

The style fits in with the current romantic trend, featuring bows, ribbons, lace and floral prints in flirty, vivid colours.

Her signing to the brand comes as another coup for the model, who has also fronted major beauty campaigns for Garnier and this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Bar, who used to be better known for her on/off relationship with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, designed her own bikini line and hostedher own bikini line.

In 2010, she will star in an English-language film, Session, directed by Israeli Haim Bouzaglo.

The film is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a manipulative psychologist who becomes obsessed with a new young patient.

(source)