The youngest child of a large extended family, Motta was discovered on Guarapari Beach, just north of Rio de Janeiro at the age of 16 by a talent scout.

Motta has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines around the world, including Vogue,[3] ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour.

Her advertisements include Rolex, Palmolive, Cori,[4] Pantene, and Moët & Chandon, and she has walked for Cia Marítima,[5] Gucci, and Chanel.

[7] In order to accept the job, Motta, who lives in New York City, United States, reportedly cancelled most of her agenda so that she could stay in the country for two months straight.

[9] She also appeared in a Rosa Chá swimsuit fashion show on the final episode "America's Next Top Model Is...", in the same season.