Meet the Top Models of Spring 2019

Janelle Okwodu
Updated

If there was one lesson to take away from Spring 2019’s castings, it’s that personality matters. Gone are the days of the cookie-cutter runway star—the models who made the biggest impact this season did so by being different. Whether it was an all-American beauty who trained as an EMT before conquering Dior and Maison Margiela, or a Colombian newcomer who worked at a plastics factory only weeks prior to walking for Miuccia Prada and Hedi Slimane, they rose to the top by embracing their individuality. You won’t see the next Gigi Hadid or Kendall Jenner on the list of faces that stood out this season, but you’ll find something even better: 12 impressive young women about to take fashion by storm.

Meet the Top Models of Spring 2019

Instagram: @inscotts Hometown: Queens, New York Highlights: Coach, Ralph Lauren, Savage x Fenty, Christian Dior From the moment she appeared on the runway at Dior’s Chantilly Resort show back in May, Indira Scott caused a stir with her signature box braids and dynamic presence. She’s even more interesting off-duty: Together with her sister Bria, she works as a designer and creative consultant, which means she could still be influencing fashion for years to come.
Instagram: @saraeirud Hometown: Sala, Sweden Highlights: Givenchy, Valentino, Prada An equestrian turned model with unmistakable poise, Swedish newcomer Sara Eirud made the most of the season. First discovered at a horse show in her hometown, she still rides competitively and her presence at nearly every single show that mattered suggests she’s leading the wave of new Scandinavian talent.
Instagram: @cyriellellnd Hometown: Vélizy-Villacoublay, France Highlights: Louis Vuitton, Paco Rabanne, JW Anderson After studying biology at university, Cyrielle Lalande was spotted by agents on the streets of Paris. She debuted with an exclusive at JW Anderson for Fall 2018 and has since steadily risen through the ranks. This year Lalande experienced a breakthrough, walking major shows in multiple cities and becoming one of Nicolas Ghesquière’s Vuitton regulars.
Instagram: @jordandaniels Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand Highlights: Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen, Prada A school fashion show led to Jordan Daniels’s big break, and now she’s conquered some of fashion’s biggest runways. Born in South Africa and raised in Auckland, Daniels is a true global beauty, and her presence at shows like Off-White, Loewe, and Prada helped make those casts memorable.
Instagram: @kbeewyatt Hometown: Hot Springs, Arkansas Highlights: Rodarte, Celine, Dries Van Noten An EMT turned runway star, Kaila Wyatt headed into fashion month with momentum and went on to dominate in all four cities. The redhead is versatile, which allowed her to move seamlessly between ethereal Rodarte muse and New Wave cool kid at Hedi Slimane’s Celine.
Instagram: @bbbomiii_ Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Highlights: Fendi, Missoni, Christian Dior Blessed with the perfect combination of cuteness and edge, Bomi Youn was irresistible to casting directors this season. Unmistakable on the runway and in countless backstage beauty images, she made an impression from the moment she opened Simone Rocha’s London Fashion Week show and kept it going through the season.
Instagram: @alyssapaccoud Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Highlights: Chanel, Burberry, Tom Ford Classic beauty never goes out of style, and though she’s only on her first season, Alyssah Paccoud has a timeless appeal that served her well this season. Paccoud fit right in alongside the aughts supermodels at Tom Ford and the newbies at Burberry, bringing an elegance to each runway she graced.
Instagram: @nataliamontero07 Hometown: Cali, Colombia Highlights: Balenciaga, Chloé, Loewe When she isn’t making her way down a runway, Natalia Montero is busy salsa dancing—a skill evident in the slinky strut that helped make her one of Spring’s most requested models. Given her impressive walk and unforgettable look, Montero is sure to pique the interest of photographers come campaign season.
Instagram: @zoethaets Hometown: Leuven, Belgium Highlights: Jacquemus, Off-White, Marc Jacobs Rarely does a new face emerge with the true potential to do it all. Zoë Thaets spent Spring 2019 walking for French houses like Dior and Jacquemus, but it’s just as easy to imagine her donning angel wings for lingerie mega-brands or snagging a big beauty contract.
Instagram: @licettmorillo Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Highlights: Saint Laurent, Celine, Prada As the first black model to close a Prada show, Licett Morillo joins the history books. But Milan was just the warm-up for Morillo, who left her home in the Dominican Republic for the first time to walk. Morillo worked in a plastics factory in Santo Domingo before being discovered a little more than a month ago, and her swift success indicates great things on the horizon.
Instagram: @maddyhaleyofficial Hometown: Washington, Virginia Highlights: Saint Laurent, Coach, Celine A year ago, Mads Mullins had long red waves, but her new platinum buzzcut has made her a star. Adding a punk energy to this season, Mullins was a welcome addition at shows like Coach, Saint Laurent, and Celine, where she embodied youthful cool.
Instagram: @maike.inga Hometown: Munich, Germany Highlights: Stella McCartney, Valentino, Givenchy, Prada The opening spot at Prada has served as the launchpad for superstar models like Sasha Pivovarova and Daria Werbowy, so it makes sense that one of this season’s brightest newcomers got her start on Miuccia’s runway: German stunner Maike Inga, who transfixed the audience with her gamine pixie cut.
See the videos.