After the Fall/Winter 2025 show season wrapped in Paris, one thing was clear: a new wave of women is driving runway energy. From South Sudan to Brazil, China to Estonia, these models each bring a personal story—and a distinctive walk—that brands can’t ignore. Below is a friendly, no-frills rundown of the ten talents dominating 2025 so far. Word of warning: once you spot them on the catwalk, you’ll start noticing them everywhere.
1. Awar Odhiang

South-Sudanese–Canadian Awar turned the entire Paris circuit into her personal parade this March. In one dazzling stretch she walked Balenciaga, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent on back-to-back days before closing Sacai’s inventive show the very next morning. Her fluid stride and graceful shoulders give every look relaxed confidence—one reason Anthony Vaccarello also tapped her for Saint Laurent’s Summer 2025 campaign. Expect more powerhouse bookings as couture week rolls around.
2. Agel Akol

Agel’s rise has been steady rather than sudden, but 2025 feels like her breakthrough. She spent winter fronting editorials for Ferragamo and choreographed street-style shoots that Models.com kept spotlighting throughout fashion month. The South Sudanese model now appears on the site’s “Hot List,” a coveted ladder toward the Top 50 Models ranking. With agencies from Elite NY to PRM London guiding her bookings, she’s primed for a global runway run.
3. Lulu Tenney

If magazine covers are a runway barometer, Lulu is miles ahead. In April she graced Vogue Korea’s May 2025 cover wearing head-to-toe Miu Miu, just one day after popping up in a Chanel-laden editorial for Pop Magazine. Designers love how her classic features balance playful styling; audiences love how she brings 1990s supermodel ease into Gen Z cool. With New York, London, Milan and Paris shows all on her calendar, Lulu remains a mainstay.
4. Sara Caballero

Chile-born, Spain-raised Sara has been on industry short-lists since winning Elite Model Look’s world final in 2022. In 2025 she moved from “new face” to Top 50 status, bagging campaigns for Alexander McQueen and Courrèges and still finding time to pop up on Zara’s “New Romantics” look book. She’s signed across every Elite branch, giving her a front-row seat at the label’s most coveted European shows.
5. Rejoice Chuol

Rejoice’s walk blends athletic power with a painter’s sense of line, something Prada noticed back in 2024. This year she stayed on fashion-month itineraries, earning repeat coverage in Models.com’s street-style galleries from New York to Milan. With Muse Management pushing her Stateside and Select Model Management handling Europe, the South Sudanese star’s visibility only climbs.
6. Luiza Perote

Brazil’s Luiza is the definition of runway stamina: by mid-April she had already walked Pucci’s sun-splashed Portofino show, fronted Ralph Lauren’s snowy FW 25 collection, and trekked across Courchevel for Moncler Grenoble. Throw in a dreamy Phoebe Philo campaign and her place among 2025’s most in-demand talents is secure. Her statuesque 5′11″ frame makes tailoring look effortless, a gift for both minimalist and maximalist brands.
7. Hejia Li

Discovery stories don’t come fresher. Wenzhou-born Hejia debuted barely two years ago and is now everywhere—from Isabel Marant’s FW 25 runway to magazine covers across Asia and Europe. She splits time between Shanghai and New York under agencies like The Industry and Ford Paris. Editors praise her chameleon expression: serene one moment, sly the next.
8. Sascha Rajasalu

Half Swedish, half Estonian, all momentum—Sascha’s angular features and cool-girl nonchalance landed her a spot in Models.com’s Top 50 plus high-definition runway highlight reels that went viral on fashion YouTube channels this spring. Next Management represents her in every capital, streamlining a schedule that already includes Zara campaigns and planned Paris couture appearances.
9. Achol Ayor

Another South Sudanese sensation, Achol has been gathering pace since 2023 but 2025 pushed her into overdrive. She featured alongside Agel and Awar in Saint Laurent’s Summer 2025 cast list and stood out at Valentino and Schiaparelli later in the season. Supreme Management (NY) and Women360 Paris back her—and their heavyweight rosters hint at even bigger opportunities.
10. Diane Chiu

Brooklyn-born with Taiwanese roots, Diane is the newest arrival on this list but already hard to miss. Ford Models’ runway board shows her SS 25 credits for Pucci and Michael Kors, plus a coveted Celine summer campaign shot by Karim Sadli. Her relaxed charisma and cropped bob bring instant personality to structured looks, a quality brands hungry for authenticity adore.
Closing Thoughts
Fashion cycles faster than ever, but these ten women balance lesson-learned professionalism with the raw spark every designer hopes to harness. They’re planting flags on magazine covers, filling front rows with chatter, and—most importantly—helping audiences around the world feel invited into high fashion’s once-exclusive orbit. Keep an eye on their feeds and upcoming show schedules; 2025 is only the starting line.