By Bryanne Salazar
8:45am PDT, Aug 30, 2017
It's said that youth is wasted on the young, but when it comes to these beautiful ladies, that saying couldn't be more untrue. Join Wonderwall.com as we take a look at the most gorgeous young women under the age of 23 who are slaying the runway as their modeling careers bloom… starting with fashion model and actress Kaia Gerber. It's hard to believe that this stunning beauty (whose lookalike mom happens to be Cindy Crawford — one of the world's first supermodels) is killing it on screen and in print and she's not even old enough to drive. Kaia celebrates her 16th birthday on Sept. 3, 2017, but it's clear that for her, age is nothing but a number. She's signed to the prestigious IMG Models agency and has appeared in Vogue, Teen Vogue and Love Magazine while posing pretty for brands like Marc Jacobs and Hudson Jeans. Keep reading to see who else belongs on this exclusive list…
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Vogue called Bianca Valle "a rising beauty star" and The Cut poked fun at the recent college grad for having "more internships than we thought was legal." While Bianca stands out amongst the crowd, it's her intelligence, intrinsic sense of style, passion for art (and her recent hire as beauty editor at NYLON magazine) that prove she's much more than just a pretty face. So far in 2017, the 22 year old has collaborated with Nike and Off-White for their new footwear collection, appeared on the Official Beyoncé Shop and modeled for NARS cosmetics. Next up: Ads for several major brands are on the horizon.
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She's only 20 and already has become one of the most sought after models in the industry. Bella Hadid might be the little sister of model Gigi Hadid and the daughter of former model (and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum) Yolanda Hadid, but she's definitely not standing in anyone's shadow. After being named Model.com's Model of the Year for 2016, Bella went on to become the face of Dior Beauty while also repping brands like Nike and walking the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. What's even more amazing is that while she's building her empire, she's been battling chronic Lyme disease, a diagnosis she received in her teens that she shares with her mom and younger brother Anwar Hadid (who also happens to be a model).
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Her mom is Katoucha Niane, the former muse for one of the most illustrious brands in the world, Yves Saint Laurent, and her dad is fashion designer Nigel Curtiss. It would seem that from birth, Aiden Curtiss was preordained for the world of modeling — a destiny she's been all too eager to accept. At only 19, this beauty — who stands over 6 feet tall — has walked the runway for some of the biggest names in fashion including Stella McCartney and Versace. In 2017, Aiden walked for Rihanna's Fenty x Puma fashion line and booked an appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
It seems like only yesterday that we were watching Kendall Jenner light up the small screen on her famous family's reality series, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" — but now this striking sister has stepped out on her own in a very big way. She's only been modeling for a few years yet has already appeared on the cover of Vogue and several of its international editions multiple times and has walked in more than 63 runway shows. She's signed with Estee Lauder, Calvin Klein and Adidas and although her name wasn't on the list for the next Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, fans believe she'll be making a return appearance in 2017.
She's a member of one Hollywood's most famous families, but Hailey Baldwin doesn't need to rely on her well-known last name to get her foot in the door. This leggy blonde has an impressive portfolio that includes the covers of ELLE, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar (numerous times) as well as features in Vogue, GQ and more. She's owned the runway for some of the biggest names in fashion including Dolce & Gabbana and Elie Saab. In 2017, Hailey will co-host the new rap battle TV show "Drop the Mic" and in 2018, she'll appear in the film "Ocean's Eight."
Washington D.C. native Lameka Fox was training horses just two years ago when, on a whim, she responded to a model scouting campaign on Instagram. Two days later, she was signed to the prestigious IMG Models agency and by the time the year was over, she'd walked the runway for Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Valentino and more. Lameka's appeared in ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue, WSJ and more and was just confirmed as a return runway model for the exclusive 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Just three years ago, Alexandra Micu entered a modeling competition and won, catapulting her career to unimaginable heights. The Romanian beauty was signed to Elite Model Management and since then has worked for the biggest names in high-end fashion including Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Versace and more. Whether she's gracing the pages of Vogue or appearing in The New York Times Style Magazine, it's clear Alexandra is a supermodel in the making.
Whether it's her amazing eyebrows or spellbinding command of the camera, it's clear that Taylor Hill is one of the most stunning models in the industry today. She's walked the runway for Fendi, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren and more, and in 2015 earned the coveted title of Victoria's Secret Angel. In 2017, she'll once again don her ethereal wings on the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and will continue as a spokesperson for several brands including L'oreal and Lancôme.
Vogue called Faretta a "one-name wonder" and since 2016 — when this Croatian beauty first took over the runway — the world of fashion has been held captive. Victoria Beckham joked that she wanted to look like Faretta and labels like Miu Miu and Givenchy have vied to get her in their shows. Currently, she's signed with Colors Model Management, Elite Worldwide and The Society in New York and has recently signed on to be one of the new faces of Ralph Lauren.
Brazilian model Ellen Rosa was walking to school when she was discovered by a model scout who instantly recognized her striking beauty. Known for her tropical water-green eyes and full, pouty lips, Ellen has spent the last four years strutting up and down runways for brands like Miu Miu, Moschino, Versace and Valentino. She's currently signed to DNA Models and in 2017 notably shot for Vogue and appeared in an editorial spread in W Magazine's September issue.
By now everyone in the world should know the name Gigi Hadid. As the older sister of model Bella Hadid and the daughter of former model Yolanda Hadid (more recently of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" fame), Gigi's made her presence known in the worlds of fashion and beauty. In addition to appearing on the runway for Chanel and Marc Jacobs (and many more), Gigi has graced the cover of Vogue more times than we can count and worked with dozens of big-name brands like BMW, Versace and Victoria's Secret. As if this California-born bombshell didn't already have it all, she's also dating former One Direction singer Zayn Malik.
She's the first black spokesmodel for the Victoria's Secret Pink line and at 21, Zuri Tibby is determined to break the mold when it comes to modeling. Not only is this Florida-born Jamaican beauty preparing to walk the runway at the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, but she's busy appearing on the pages of fashion magazines like ELLE, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire and more.
Yasmin Wijnaldum has only been modeling since 2015 but already has stacked her resume with jobs for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Hugo Boss, Oscar de la Renta, Prada and more. The 18-year-old Dutch beauty recently drew attention when she was selected as the face of Prada's 2016 spring/summer campaign. Since signing with Elite Model Management, Yasmin's career has picked up, helping her grow from print to runway shows. In 2017, she walked in the Valentino Haute Couture show and appeared on the cover of Vogue Germany.
In 2016, Vogue called Yoon Young Bae the "Korean model of the moment" and they weren't wrong. The Seoul native has taken the world by storm with her doll-like features and striking poses. Yoon has appeared on the cover of Vogue, worked for brands like Chloe, Chanel, Fendi, H&M and more and was one of the faces of Prada in 2016. In 2017, she partnered with brands including Diane von Furstenberg and Dior and appeared in 31 incredible runway shows during New York Fashion Week.
Although Theresa Hayes was only signed to Ford Models in 2016, she's already slaying the world of fashion. In 2017, she appeared on runways for Hermès, Giambattista Valli Haute Couture, Miu Miu and more for their 2018 lines. At just 22, this Brooklyn native, who spent the last year as the muse for Louis Vuitton, has more clout than most models could ever dream of and a long list of labels vying for her attention.
Camille Hurel's mesmerizing eyes and simple, clean look are proof that French women have beauty in their DNA. The list of her modeling clients is impressively long, including brands like Alexander Wang, Bottega Veneta, Carolina Herrera and more. In 2017, Camille walked the runway for high-end fashion designers including Prada and Versace and was featured in Dior's fall campaign.
Slick Woods has made it her mission to embrace authenticity and it's paid off in dividends. Known for her bold attitude, uniquely beautiful features (including a gorgeous front tooth gap that makes her smile unforgettable), Slick has slid her way across some of the biggest runways since her modeling debut in 2016. Since then, she's rocked the catwalk for labels like Moschino, Yeezy, Fendi and Marc Jacobs. In 2017, she appeared on the pages of Vogue, Glamour and i-D magazine and modeled for Marc Jacobs' fall/winter line.
Grace Elizabeth went from being a Guess girl to walking the runway in 2016 for Miu Miu — where Vogue labeled the Florida native "the next crossover bombshell." Now Grace can add Victoria's Secret Pink spokesmodel to her resume — an exclusive title she earned in 2016 at the brand's Paris show. Considered by many in the industry to be on the path to supermodel status, Grace (who's also walked for Moschino and appeared in the pages of Vogue) still considers herself a small-town girl at heart.
Born in St. Lucia, 19-year-old Brittany Noon brings some Caribbean flair to the world of high fashion. With her piercing, serious eyes and flowing dark locks, she's as beautiful as she is versatile. She's appeared in Vogue Italy and Vogue India and has worked with major brands like Emporio and Giorgio Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tommy Hilfiger and more. In August 2017, Brittany was spotted celebrating St. Lucia-style at the Antigua Carnival before returning to New York — no doubt to hit the runway for fashion week in September.
She's only 16, but Manuela Sanchez from the Dominican Republic has already been touted by The New York Times as a model to watch. She made her runway debut for Saint Laurent before landing contracts with Alexander McQueen, Hermès, Dior, Louis Vuitton and more. In 2017, she walked the runway for Giambattista Valli Couture and Fendi and appeared in W Magazine's September issue.
Brazilian beauty Aira Ferreira decided she wanted to model, so she walked into an agency to share her vision and was signed on the spot. Now the 20 year old can boast about traveling around the world and walking runways for designers like Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch and more. According to Aira, one of the highlights of her relatively new career was meeting Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid — models she looked up to before becoming a runway star herself.
Stunning Aleece Wilson has walked the runway for some of the coolest names in fashion — including Rihanna, Yeezy, Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs — proving her model might. Aleece's striking, unusual beauty, complete with a face full of gorgeous freckles and piercing green cat eyes, has set her apart from the rest of the pack and guaranteed her a place as a top model contender. In 2017, Aleece hit the runway for designers including Sies Marjan, Erdem and Maison Margiela.
Hailing from Zurich, 21-year-old Birgit Kos has risen through the model ranks to become one of the most in-demand women on the runway. Over the last two years, she's worked with brands like H&M, Hermès, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and more. In 2017, she appeared on the covers of Vogue Russia and Vogue Germany, modeled for Stella McCartney's winter line and posed for Americana Manhasset's Paris Forever catalog, and somehow managed to still make time to visit her family in Switzerland and indulge in her favorite pastime — enjoying nature.
While Mackinley Hill (Taylor Hill's little sister) might be a newbie to the world of modeling, she's slowly making a name for herself in the industry. The 20 year old is now signed with IMG Models — the same agency that represents her big sis. She appeared in her first major ad in 2017 — for the Karl Lagerfeld fall/winter line — and has already created buzz about where she'll appear next.
