About
Toni Dreher-Adenuga—born Oluwatoniloba Dreher-Adenuga on 27 November 1999 in Stuttgart—burst onto the German fashion scene when she won the 13ᵗʰ season of Germany’s Next Topmodel in May 2018. Barely out of high school, she walked away with a €100,000 cash prize, an Opel Adam, a Harper’s Bazaar cover shoot, and a contract with ONEeins fab Management—advantages she quickly converted into regular bookings on European runways and branded campaigns.
Since that televised breakthrough, Toni has stayed visible without chasing every spotlight. She has graced Berlin and New York Fashion Weeks, fronted ads for labels such as Zalando and designer Yannik Zamboni, and branched out into occasional TV appearances—most recently winning “Promi Shopping Queen,” where her relaxed charm resonated with viewers. Today, at 25, she balances modeling with advocacy, using her platform to champion diversity and faith-based self-confidence, asserting that fashion “still has a distance to travel until everyone feels accepted, heard, and seen.”
Before Fame
Toni grew up in a close-knit household as the middle child between an older sister and younger brother. Her parents had emigrated from Nigeria to Germany in 1986, laying down roots in Stuttgart long before she was born. Academic diligence matched her creative streak: she completed her Abitur at the girls’ Gymnasium St. Agnes in 2017, thriving in languages and literature.
Outside the classroom, she discovered two passions that still shape her public persona. First came spoken-word poetry—she began writing and performing slam pieces in her teens, honing a stage presence that later proved priceless on high-pressure catwalks. Second was her deep Christian faith; Toni volunteers as a youth-service leader at the Body of Christ Church, where she coordinates lively worship sessions and mentoring circles. These twin interests—a love of words and a grounding spirituality—gave her poise and purpose long before fashion scouts noticed her.
Trivia
- Uncommon Grand Prize: Toni’s GNTM victory package included a Harper’s Bazaar cover instead of the show’s traditional Cosmopolitan feature—an editorial first that pushed her straight into high-fashion territory.
- Instant Wheels: She drove off the finale stage in a brand-new Opel Adam, joking later that learning parallel parking under paparazzi flashes was tougher than any runway challenge.
- Slam-Poet Roots: Long before catwalks, she collected regional poetry-slam wins; fans still quote her line “Confidence begins where comparisons end,” a phrase now printed on supporters’ T-shirts.
- Faith on Fashion Week: When bookings clash with Sunday services, she streams worship backstage between call times—earbuds in, Bible app open, high heels off.
- Reality-Show Re-entry: In 2024, she surfaced on the celebrity edition of “Shopping Queen” and clinched another win—proof her competitive streak never left.
- Digital Footprint: Her Instagram, @toniloba, blends bare-faced selfies with behind-the-scenes runway clips and spoken-word snippets; the account has grown steadily since her GNTM days.
Family Life
Toni credits her parents’ immigrant work ethic for her drive. Her father, an engineer, and her mother, who retrained as a nurse after arriving from Nigeria, encouraged all three children to aim high yet stay grounded. Privacy matters to Toni, so she rarely posts full family portraits, but she often shares gratitude notes on birthdays and anniversaries, calling her siblings “my built-in hype team.”
Home remains Stuttgart whenever schedules allow. There she reconnects over spicy jollof rice, Sunday worship, and spirited debates about Bundesliga football. She also mentors her younger brother’s friends, offering advice on navigating German-Nigerian identity in creative industries. Friends say those kitchen-table talks reveal the same warmth fans glimpse on-screen—proof that fame hasn’t obscured the values formed long before flashing bulbs.
Associated With
Winning GNTM placed Toni in the orbit of some of Germany’s best-known fashion figures. She was coached and judged by supermodel-producer Heidi Klum and creative directors Thomas Hayo and Michael Michalsky, absorbing critiques that fine-tuned her walk and editorial range. Catwalk trainers Papis Loveday and Nikeata Thompson drilled her in high-energy runway choreography, skills she later applied at Berlin Fashion Week.
Beyond the show, designer Michael Michalsky tapped her for campaign shoots, while Swiss label founder Yannik Zamboni cast her during New York Fashion Week—a booking that signaled international recognition. In media, she has appeared alongside host Guido Maria Kretschmer on “Shopping Queen” and occasionally shares panels with fellow GNTM alumnae such as Vivien Blotzki to discuss inclusivity in modeling.
