Newcomers F/W 18
Every season comes with it a torrent of just-in talent making their international debut as well as known models doubling down for their singular breakout moment. Models.com keeps track of these success stories and publishes them biannually in our Top Newcomers list. Fall/Winter 18 encompasses the four fashion capitals and is a carefully measured treasure chest of the next who’s who. These models walked blue-chip shows in multiples, scoring coveted exclusives, opening and closing points along the way. All this runway credit can cash out into into sought-after campaigns, covers and editorials.
The Top Newcomers list is broken down in 2 sections:
Industry Selects
Models.com’s Top Newcomers
Industry Selects
1st Season
Alina Bolotina
Anyelina Rosa
Eduarda Bretas
Eniola Abioro
Evelyn Nagy
Fatou Jobe
Giselle Norman
Jiali Zhao
Julie Trichot
Natalie Ogg
Rachel Marx
Rebecca Leigh Longendyke
Rocio Marconi
Ting Chen
Breakout Season
Adesuwa Aighewi
Akiima
Anniek Verfaille
Ansolet Rossouw
Assa Baradji
Chunjie Liu
Demy de Vries
Dipti Sharma
Emma Poilblanc
Ilya Vermeulen
Loane Normand
Manu Miloqui
Meghan Roche
Naomi Chin Wing
Remington Williams
Yeva Podurian
1st Season
Alina Bolotina
Starting her international debut during the London fashion lap, Alina Bolotina wasted no time in playing catch up in a big way. Versatile and contagious is the perfect pairing and her look translated to a clutch run of shows. How’s J.W Anderson, Burberry, Fendi, Dolce and Gabbana, Jil Sander, Valentino, Galliano and Chanel for a first season?
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Anyelina Rosa
Each new season brings with it an unknown, spectacular girl from the Dominican Republic, and this season that girl is Anyelina. Touching down as an exclusive at Yves Saint Laurent, this island girl then breezed through the rest of Paris, making notable appearances at Loewe, Elie Saab, Givenchy, and Alexander McQueen.
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Eduarda Bretas
Brazilian new face Eduarda quickly became a show favorite after her exclusive debut at Prada this season. The blonde bombshell was all about town (the small town being Paris) as she went on to walk for Dior, Rochas, Loewe, Valentino and Giambattista Valli.
Victor VIRGILE/Gamma Rapho via Getty Images
Eniola Abioro
Boom goes the dynamite! Exclusive debuts can make or break a model’s standing and one for Prada is the ultimate badge of honor. Nigerian newcomer Eniola (we found her first!) knows this clearly and since her debut for the famed Milanese house, she went on to covetable bookings that made folks notice. Versace, Ferragamo, YSL, Off-White, Miu Miu and Altuzarra all took a chance on the rising star.
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Evelyn Nagy
Transylvanian model Evelyn Nagy concentrated amassing visibility in Europe. Lots of cool brands were wooed by the distinct lure of her versatile, banged look. She was spotted at shows like Simone Rocha, Dolce and Gabbana, Marni, Dior, Rick Owens, Givenchy, Valentino and Miu Miu that collectively put her on the radar.
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Fatou Jobe
A fateful, exclusive debut stroll through the Calvin Klein popcorn runway set the tone for newcomer Fatou Jobe’s show season. While she laid low during London and Milan Fashion Week, she made a grand entrance in Paris with a semi-exclusive slot at Dior then Altuzarra, Hermes, Givenchy and Valentino, naturally.
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Giselle Norman
Exclusively opening London’s J.W. Anderson is the perfect way build a reputation as a modern face of the moment. Naturally, that’s just what Giselle did for her debut. From there the beauty-marked muse took calculated turns down first-rate runways like Dior, Loewe, Valentino, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton.
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Jiali Zhao
After a few turns during the men and couture season, new face JiaLi was ready for the advanced course in runway starting with J.W Anderson in London. She then went on to Prada and Sportmax in Milan before securing shows like Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Carven, Off-White, Paco Rabanne and an opening slot at Loewe.
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Julie Trichot
With her French “It Girl” looks, the cinematic chicness of Mlle Trichot first hit the runways during S/S 18 couture, where she walked for Dior and Armani Prive. But Julie truly put her subtly sophisticated stamp on the runways this season, starting at Preen in London, and going on to walk for both the classics (Giorgio Armani, Dior, Valentino and Chanel) and the new guard (Sacai and Altuzarra).
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Natalie Ogg
Out the gate with an Alexander Wang semi-exclusive, Natalie Ogg was a shoo-in for satisfactory success–but she took it further. The fair lady cleaned up with power walks for top shows like Calvin Klein, Burberry, Prada, Fendi, Versace, Valentino, McQueen, Chanel plus others. Nice to meet you Natalie!
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Rachel Marx
With a Meisel shot story handily tucked away in the March issue of Italian Vogue, Rachel took to the runway this season to continue making her mark. Opening the Victoria Beckham show in New York, this German’s intellectual good looks were then capitalized at Ferragamo, Givenchy and Valentino. A policy of quality and not quantity is clearly at the heart of Miss Marx’s manifesto.
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Rebecca Leigh Longendyke
More is less as new face Rebecca Leigh can attest. The freckled wonder made a big splash in New York walking for Calvin Klein before hopping over to the city of lights for Yves Saint Laurent. She then gained momentum with walks for Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Isabel Marant, Altuzarra, Valentino and Stella McCartney.
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Rocio Marconi
Rocio Marconi is Argentina’s latest exports to sweeten the runways. Simone Rocha served as her opening act, literally opening the buzzy show. She then flexed her transformative model muscle à la Fendi, Jil Sander, Marni, Lanvin, Rick Owens and Hermés for appearances that showed true potential.
Catwalking/Contributor
Ting Chen
Ting just has that thing! Just ask the following brands that have featured the sprightly new face on their runway this past month – Jason Wu, Coach, Prada, Missoni, Tommy Hilfiger, Dior, Miu Miu, Carven, and Off-White to name a few.
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Adesuwa Aighewi
The phoenix rises. Adesuwa is no newbie to the game but this season was unanimously her best. Let’s start with the last day of Paris Fashion Week and a stellar 3-peat feat – Chanel, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton, in that order. Then let’s go to the beginning where in New York she walked for Alexander Wang, Sies Marjan and Michael Kors. Sprinkle some Fendi and Dior in there and you end up with a fire-emoji show season.
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Akiima
One girl had her eye on the prize and her name was Akiima. The Australian beauty made waves this season at Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Brandon Maxwell. From there it was nothing but smooth sailing whether it was a trip to Jacquemus’ Le Souk, Valentino’s garden party or closing Kenzo’s art party.
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Anniek Verfaille
Anniek has been walking the runways since Couture F/W 17, but this was the season she made maximum impact. From Sies Marjan in NY to Christopher Kane in London and Dolce & Gabbana in Milan, this blue-eyed beauty was making moves. But it was in Paris that Anniek truly proved she didn’t come to play – Carven, Dries van Noten, Nina Ricci, Hermés, Elie Saab and Galliano appearances certainly showed she meant business.
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Ansolet Rossouw
A Bardot-esque beauty from South Africa, Ansolet’s runway game has gone from strength to strength. Past experience walking for Valentino, Miu Miu and Fendi Couture meant that she was firmly on the radar of casting directors, and her memorably hard-but-soft, quirky-yet-coquettish looks lead to her runway resume being expanded this season to include the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Jil Sander, Valentino, and Chanel.
Estrop/Contributor
Assa Baradji
When Assa first walked her single-city Balenciaga exclusive in S/S 18 she had people talking. Come this season that cache of buzz paid off as the Parisian-born model was spotted internationally at choice shows like Sies Marjan, Burberry, Dior, Kenzo. Closing Valentino would fasten F/W 18 as her breakout moment.
Estrop/Contributor
Chunjie Liu
A runway star is born: Chunjie Liu, the Chinese model who opened Alexander Wang’s show took the opportunity to bless us with a breakout moment spanning all four fashion capitals: Calvin Klein to Burberry to Moschino to Valentino, McQueen and much more all along the way.
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Demy de Vries
Following on from a Prada double booking (Resort 18 & S/S 18), Dutch dame Demy entered the game this season with a strong hand. And she played that hand well, with Boss, Gucci, Cavalli, Erdem, Valli and Altuzarra amongst the major shows concreting this blonde’s catwalk cred.
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Dipti Sharma
Fresh off a Balenciaga campaign and exclusive, Dipti Sharma and her signature mane spread their wings this season with a show clientele list that read like a weekend at Barneys. We’ll only mention her romps with Alexander Wang, Burberry, Gareth Pugh, and Dries as we’re on a shopping fast and breaking out in a sweat.
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Emma Poilblanc
Franco-Dutch beauty Emma lent some European Unity to London this season, starting off her show sweep at Burberry and Christopher Kane. Back on the mainland, this former LV exclusive walked for Prada, Marni, Dior, Valentino and Hermès, continuing to strengthen the Euro.
Estrop/Contributor
Ilya Vermeulen
Do Dutch wonders ever cease? Coming off a S/S 18 Vuitton exclusive and Dior Couture appearance meant that Ilya came into F/W 18 hot — hotter than a fresh stroopwafel, in fact, with Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Burberry, Loewe and Dior all popping their clogs for this nymph from The Netherlands.
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Loane Normand
Loane Normand used her S/S 18 Prada exclusive as a launch pad–the trajectory was a F/W breakout season. The Twiggy-esque, pixie-cut cutie was welcomed onto runways like Jason Wu, Fendi, Jil Sander, Dolce and Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, all who loved her loveliness.
Victor VIRGILE/Contributor
Manu Miloqui
This Argentine has been hitting the catwalks since her Prada debut in F/W 17, but this was the season that Manu started to tango. The serious beauty was suited to every city, with Coach 1941, Preen, Ferragamo Dior, Valentino and Loewe all making much ado about Manu.
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Meghan Roche
Gorgeous much? Meghan Roche and her beautiful blues added extra shine to the Fall runways, and will give the more senior stunners a run for their money, literally. On paper she can add a semi-exclusive walk for Alexander Wang, Fendi, which she opened, and struts for Versace and Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel–and more–to what amounts to a breakout moment since her exclusive Givenchy S/S 18 debut.
Estrop/Contributor
Naomi Chin Wing
Naomi came and she conquered, making this no ordinary season, and Naomi no ordinary beauty. The model from Trinidad and Tobago just walked her personal best–top bookings like Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, Coach, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Miu Miu mean we are going to be seeing a lot more of her soon.
Victor VIRGILE/Contributor
Remington Williams
Hot off her Vogue Italia cover, red-haired Remington Williams decided she was going to make this her impossible-to-ignore moment. The Texan model logged major runway miles highlighted by closing both Coach and Maison Margiela, and opening Peter Pilotto, plus notable walks for the likes of Sies Marjan, Marc Jacobs, Moschino and Miu Miu.
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Yeva Podurian
A year after her runway debut at Alberta Ferretti, Yeva found her groove. Going insane for this ginger from Ukraine were the likes of Phillip Lim, Burberry, Pucci, Cavalli, Chanel, McQueen and McCartney.
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Nice to see so many beauties and so much diversity. <3
Stunning Shanelle Nyasiase this season, others of my favorites new faces and most promising, Meghan Roche , Ansolet Rossouw, Anyelina Rosa, Alina Bolotina, Eniola Abioro, Gisele Norman, Rachel Marx, Enma Poilblanc.
eniola abioro go girl you are making nigeria proud!
Shanniel Williams exclusive debut at Burberry, as a direct booking, followed by Jil Sander, Lanvin, and Valentino surely should have earned her a place on the first season list. Her presence is so regal and refined. My favorite new face of the season.
Hi my name is avyanna and I would like to model for you guys if you are willing to allow me to I do know that this sound crazy and self centered but if you want to know what I look like my Instagram is @avyyyyy.x
Bethann seriously has to review what a newcomer means. Aiden and Adesuwa are not newcomers. Every season she’s like that
I’m sorry but if Bethann Hardison is here to promote diversity, I have to say that I don’t see much diversity every season in her choice of new faces. Every season she picks black girls as top new faces, I don’t find it so diverse to be honest. I mean being a girl of color shouldn’t be the only criteria to get picked. In that case why there is no asian in her list?
I love Bethann Hardison’s choices of models – all blacks. Her diversed vision is truly admirable.
Hi Bethann Hardison, if you’re reading this please take note that your choices of models are clearly about skin color not about embracing diversity. In this case, you selected the girls based on their skin color not beauty as a whole.