Slum birthday for Carla Bruni in Brazil

And in a nod to Bruni8217;s modeling days, a dozen pretty dark-skinned women from the slum paraded in front of her for a local fashion show put on by a Franco-Brazilian charity.

Bruni took in the show under an umbrella to protect her from the burning tropical sun, while a young girl sat on her knees. 8220;She mainly commented on the texture of the garments 8212; the recycled plastic and the bamboo, and how light they were.

Her presence was very important, and we hope that will raise our profile,8221; said Nadine Gonzalez, the founder of the Modafusion initiative specializing in environmentally friendly fashion.

One of the models, 20-year-old Etieni, said she was 8220;lucky8221; to step up onto the catwalk in front of such a famous person 8220;because the competition is tough in the modeling agencies.8221;

Etieni8217;s mother, Ana, said she was grateful to the charity for 8220;allowing her daughter not to fall into another life8221; 8212; prostitution.

8220;This year, she8217;s going to university,8221; she said, her pride apparent.

Bruni, sporting a dark violet suit with short sleeves and low-heeled moccasins, had a look at another charity before the fashion show.