One of the keys to a good fashion show is an inclusive, global cast. Long gone are the days of only one or two models from underrepresented diverse backgrounds being the top names of the season. Take this past fashion season for example: notable names stem from South Sudan, Senegal, Indigenous communities in Canada, and beyond.
The fall 2023 shows were also dominated by models with equally diverse and passionate interests and ventures outside of fashion. South Sudanese model Anyier Anei is CEO of Aquasana Filters, which works to improve access to clean water for impoverished communities in her home country. Burberry model Celina Ralph recently pursued a degree in psychotherapy. And Heather Diamond Strongarm, who hails from the Fishing Lake First Nation, is using her platform to champion Indigenous voices and customs. Today, models are powerful influences on and off the runway. Below, check out the top models from the fall 2023 season.
Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com1/10Elodie Guipaud
Age: 18
Agency: Women Management Paris
Hometown: Dakar, Senegal
Season Highlights: Prada, Loewe, Courreges
Guipaud broke into fashion last year when she attended a casting call in Dakar, Senegal, late last year. She was signed to the Hunt Management Agency—a small agency that focuses on bringing the diversity of African voices and talent to the international modeling scene. And that’s exactly what Guipaud has done in a remarkably short period of time. The beauty turned heads when she walked in Prada’s minimalist-minded fall 2023 collectsion, bringing a welcome dose of the African diaspora to the Italian brand.
2/10Celina Ralph
Age: 22
Agency: The Society Management
Season Highlights: Burberry, Valentino, Molly GoddardThis British model dreamed of becoming a dancer, and studied contemporary dance at the lauded London Contemporary Dance School for six years. From there, Ralph went on to study psychotherapy, with the intention of one day becoming a mental health counselor. But a lucky break into fashion quickly altered Ralph’s trajectory: She landed the cover of i-D Magazine early into her burgeoning model career last year. Since then, Ralph has enjoyed a remarkable upward ascent, walking for Valentino, Daniel Lee’s inaugural collectsion at Burberry, Alexander McQueen, and others. Celina is well on the path to becoming a British top model.
3/10Divine Mugisha
Age: 20
Hometown: Ottawa, Canada
Agency: Elite New York
Season Highlights: Burberry, Ferragamo, Palm Angels
This beauty began her modeling journey in 2021, when she signed with AMTI Management in Canada. She quickly caught the attention of industry insiders and began booking high-profile gigs, including shoots for Carolina Herrera and Ssense. Recently, she appeared in Marc Jacobs’s resort 2022 campaign and walked for notable brands such as Ferragamo, Courreges, Coperni, and Palm Angels.
She is dedicated to using her platform to uplift others and is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry.
4/10Sylke Golding
Age: 56
Agency: Muse Models
Hometown: Berlin
Season Highlights: Balenciaga, Collina Strada, AreaGolding is proof that a promising ascent can begin at any time. After modeling as a young adult and retiring from the industry in her 20s, Golding returned to the fashion industry this past season for the first time in decades. She has experienced success, walking down the runway for Balenciaga, Puppets and Puppets, Area, and more.
5/10Jeanne Cadieu
Age: 26
Agency: Elite New York
Hometown: Paris
Season Highlights: Valentino, Loewe, The Row
This French model has walked for top brands such as Loewe, The Row, and Isabel Marant. A student at Columbia University, she debuted her relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal on the red carpet at the 2021 Tony Awards last year. Though Cadieu caught the eye of the fashion scene this season with her jam-packed schedule, she has been working as a model for quite some time now. In 2014, a younger Cadieu spoke with FashionTV after a show and discussed her ambitions to become a full-time model. “I finish school in four months and then I’m gonna do this full-time,” she said. And her dreams have certainly come true.
6/10Heather Diamond Strongarm
Age: 18
Agency: The Society Management
Hometown: Fishing Lake First Nation, located in Saskatchewan, Canada
Season Highlights: Bottega Veneta, Jil Sander, SchiaparelliHeather Diamond Strongarm takes immense pride in her heritage. She is a Canadian of First Nations descent and one of the few people in the world who speaks the traditional Nakawe language. She also is a jingle dancer, a time-honored healing practice for First Nations and Native American women. Despite all of this, Strongarm has found time to become a fast-rising name in fashion. This season, the model walked for Bottega Veneta, Schiaparelli, Chloé, and other brands. She has equally bold aspirations outside of fashion. Namely, she dreams of attending university to become a social worker.
7/10Anyier Anei
Age: 21
Agency: The Society Management
Season Highlights: Miu Miu, Givenchy, Saint Laurent
Prior to modeling, Anyier was a pharmacy major at the United States International University–Africa, located in Nairobi, Kenya. Hailing from South Sudan, Anyier describes herself as a community development enthusiast, activist, and a mental health advocate (She has worked as a peer counselor and basketball coach for adolescent-focused groups in Kenya.) These days, Anyier is the CEO of Aquasana Filters, an entrepreneurial project she has been working on with her peers to create water filters that can be used in “rural and slum areas in South Sudan that struggle to access clean water,” Anyier shared with Vogue.In addition to her community-minded ventures, Anyier enjoyed a knockout debut season in the fashion industry this year. She walked the runways for Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Versace, and more brands. Anyier views modeling and activism as supporting and feeding into each other. She intends to use her talent as a springboard to inspire young African girls to chase their dreams.
8/10Nyawurh Chuol
Age: 19
Agency: Next Management
Hometown: Ontario, Canada
Season Highlights: Chanel, Valentino, Schiaparelli
This Canadian model made her runway debut at Alaïa’s spring 2023 collectsion last summer and, since then, has erupted onto the fashion scene. The burgeoning model, who was scouted in Canada, walked for an impressive list of designers this fashion month: Valentino Haute Couture, Hermès, and Chanel (just to name a few). With her striking features and confident strut, Chuol is definitely a name to watch during the coming seasons and beyond.
Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com9/10Noen Eubanks
Age: 21
Agency: Anti-Agency
Hometown: Loganville, Georgia
Season Highlights: Miu MiuThis TikTok beauty star is quickly becoming a force within the fashion industry, appearing on the cover of The Face magazine and fronting ad campaigns for Celine, H&M, and Miu Miu. The internet star, famous for typifying “e-boy style,” made his runway debut for Miu Miu last season and appeared on the brand’s increasingly gender-inclusive runway again a few days ago, perhaps signaling the inevitable rise of TikTok stars on luxury runways.
10/10Rejoice Chuol
Age: 18
Agency: Muse Models
Hometown: Kakuma Town, Kenya
Season Highlights: Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen, CoperiniOriginally born in South Sudan, Chuol and her family relocated to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya while she was growing up. She was discovered just last year by a scout working for Models Board Management, a Canadian agency, who signed her immediately. After obtaining her UK work visa, she traveled to London in September 2022, where she debuted in her first show at London Fashion Week for JW Anderson and subsequently, Simone Rocha. This fashion month, Chuol walked for Loewe, The Row, Miu Miu and other brands.
