Gisele's farewell during Sao Paulo's summer shows

Sao Paulo Fashion Week was off and running Monday focused on the summer 2016 season, as well as this week's last turn on the catwalk for local girl-turned-supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Designers are showing their next season through Friday at a park in this sprawling megacity, from Osklen to Ellus, to Alexandre Herchcovitch, Ronaldo Fraga and Joao Pimenta.

Now 34, Bundchen started her career two decades ago at SPFW, when it too was just starting out. Bundchen has stressed that she is not retiring but will continue off-the-runway work and spend more time with her family.

The blonde Brazilian beauty, who has already reduced her number of appearances, is married to American football star Tom Brady of the New England Patriots with whom she has two young children, Benjamin and Vivian.

Bundchen -- who Forbes says has been the world's highest-earning model for the past eight years, with 47 million dollars in earnings last year -- is expected to turn her focus to print ad campaigns.

Only recently, she signed her largest ever contract -- worth more than 25 million dollars, according to Forbes -- with US sports apparel firm Under Armour. She has worked with the likes of Chanel, Valentino, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Alexander Wang, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera.

She has also many times been a Victoria's Secret "Angel." Sao Paulo Fashion week lasts from April 13-17. (AFP)