12 Times "Top Model" Actually Found, You Know, a Top Model

One of the criticisms often thrown at America's Next Top Model — R.I.P., my sweet reality TV princess — is that ​the show rarely, if ever, met its titular goal of producing a top model. To a large extent, that's due to the snobbery with which the fashion industry views reality TV, and the age requirements for contestants (18+ in the United States, though lower in some international versions of the show) mean many promising new faces would already have locked up development deals with big agencies long before they could audition. 

Yes, OK, there's also the fact that at the end of the day, Top Model is a TV show designed to entertain! If the crazed contestants happen to be hella modelesque (or even a little bit modelesque, really) that's a bonus, but it was certainly not ever a casting requirement. But that doesn't mean the show hasn't featured contestants who've gone on to major successes in the modeling business — and it's worth noting that the term "top model" is a vague and relative one these days. You're not going to find a modern-day supermodel often, period, let alone one prepared for Tyra's zany makeovers and catwalk stunts. But take the term to mean a girl (or guy!) who books regular gigs on major runways, editorials in major magazine, and even the odd campaign and, look, the Top Model franchise has found some stars! Seriously! See 12 examples below, and write some apologetic messages to Tyra on Tyra Mail stationery please:

1. Kate Grigorieva, Russia's Next Top Model

Now a Victoria's Secret Angel and regular on fashion week's biggest runways, Grigorieva appeared on the fourth cycle of Russia's Next Top Model in 2012 and eventually placed second, but let's not dwell on that (especially because the show's winner went, well, nowhere). She just got married this a few months back, and it was stunning.

2. Patricia van der Vliet, Holland's Next Top Model

After placing fourth on the fourth season of Holland's Next Top Model in 2008, all the show's judges apparently said van der Vliet should have won. (As it happened, the Dutch public voted in the finale.) She debuted on a bunch of big-stakes fashion runways a few seasons later, undeterred, and remained a runway mainstay for years, also landing a spot in the prestigious Models.com top 50 for a while. Van der Vliet also booked a Vogue China cover in 2010.

3. Aamito Lagum, Africa's Next Top Model

Lagum won the first cycle of Africa's Next Top Model — which featured contestants from across the whole continent — at the beginning of 2014. So while she's still building out a big-leagues top-model career, all the omens are good, by which I mean that she is beyond beautiful, landed a nod as one of the fall 2015 season's best runway newcomers, and is shooting editorials in all of the cool fashion magazines. 

4. Alice Burdeu, Australia's Next Top Model

Another Top Model champ! Burdeu won the third cycle of Australia's Next Top Model, which consistently features models with mad potential (and contestants who do make names for themselves in the industry Down Under and, you know, beyond). Also, they put a lot of work into production, case in point this amazing promo for Burdeu's cycle:

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(Also, the Aussies' sixth cycle's horse racing promo is also amazing.) While she now models primarily for the Australian market, Burdeu walked the runways internationally for a few seasons and booked editorials too. Just look at her! One of the critiques often thrown at AusNTM her cycle, in fact, was the silly ways the show went to hide her basically inevitable win.

5. Leila Goldkuhl, America's Next Top Model

Goldkuhl competed on Top Model's nineteenth cycle Stateside — the "College Edition." She was actually eliminated early on but was brought back, thanks to a twist that saw fans voting on social media as the cycle filmed. She eventually placed third. And this past Fashion Week, she walked in the Givenchy show, as an exclusive, which is a big deal. In an interview with CNN, Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci said she'd also star in his label's next campaign and "is going to become an icon."

6. Sora Choi, Korea's Next Top Model

Prada, Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Céline, Elie Saab — just a few of the top shows Choi walked during the spring 2016 season. The winner of Korea's Next Top Model's third cycle, which aired in 2012, has an impressive runway résumé and editorials in multiple Vogues already.

7. Montana Cox, Australia's Next Top Model

And another Aussie Top Model champ specifically! Cox triumphed in the seventh cycle of Australia's Next Top Model — the editor of Australia's Harper's Bazaar, which, admittedly, offered a cover as part of the show's prize package, described her afterward as "the best discovery this series has ever found." 

Granted, her career has slowed down a little bit but she had a definite ~top model~ runway moment a few seasons back, and that is (much) more than can be said for many a winner. And it bears noting again that Australia's Next Top Model consistently does find great new faces: Amanda Ware, who won a year before Cox, also pops up on the Fashion Week circuit regularly; Simone Holtznagel (who placed third in Cox's cycle) landed a Guess campaign, cycle eight runner-up Shanali Martin is in development at IMG and deserves great things, cycle five runner-up Cassi van den Dungen had it all but has mostly proved too bratty to capitalize on it, and the list goes on, really. There's something in the water Down Under, and it's apparently not just snakes.

8. Ksenia Kahnovich, Russia's Next Top Model

The original success story, then 16-year-old Kahnovich won the first cycle of Russia's You Are a Supermodel — what ANTM was originally called there — in 2004. (It was later rebranded as Russia's Next Top Model, but the point here is that it was an accurate title.) She refused part of the show's prize, the requisite modeling contract, as she'd landed a deal with IMG Models by the time her cycle ended, and moved straight to Paris and straight onto the runways, onto the billboards, into the fashion magazines, etc. etc. 

Because you can't keep a good top model down, after taking a few years off (or focusing mainly on catalog work, which is lucrative, let's be real) she popped back up at the Carolina Herrera show, among other places, this past fashion week.

9. Fatima Siad, America's Next Top Model

When Fatima Siad lost out in America's Next Top Model's 10th cycle's finale (she placed third), it was the moment many fans wanted to go full Kanye and shout at Tyra about Fatima being the best contestant ANTM had cast that year or ever, basically. If only she'd remembered to shave her armpits before that one photo shoot. But it's OK really, because she's since booked a Hervé Léger campaign, and lots of Ralph Lauren ones too (pictured above right), on top of countless runways and editorial jobs. Siad later explained to The Cut that she wasn't "there yet to understand" how to succeed in the modeling business fully during her stint on Top Model.

10. Saara Sihvonen, Finland's Next Top Model

Sihvonen, a runner-up from Finland's Next Top Model's third cycle​, landed a Céline runway exclusive in Paris last season, which is a catwalk casting coup. She's walked a bevy of shows this season also, and her editorial work makes for a top-notch portfolio.

11. Hyun Ji Shin, Korea's Next Top Model

Following in the footsteps of Sora Choi (no. 6, above), Shin won the fourth cycle of Korea's Next Top Model in 2013.  And after a stellar catwalk season last month, she's already noted as one of Vogue's spring 2016 runway MVPs.  As a bonus, here she is posing with some cute goldfish. 

12. Oliver Stummvoll, Austria's Next Top Model

To finish up with a hot guy, because if nothing else we mostly* have Tyra Banks to thank for the inclusion of hot guys on modeling TV shows; Stummvoll won the sixth cycle of Austria's Next Top Model, which just finished airing last December. And he's already landed a Versace campaign, which makes sense because he is textbook Donatella.

*OK, male contestants did feature on Make Me a Supermodel, VH1's America's Most Smartest Model, and the sadly forgotten Bravo show Manhunt: The Search for America's Most Gorgeous Male Model. Incidentally, that last show featured a young Matt Lanter, now of 90210 fame.

Note: This list is by no means exhaustive, or representative of other Top Model alumnae making names for themselves in the industry right now. From ANTM specifically, Chantelle Young, for example, is clearly on the rise, while Ronald Epps (who ~somehow~ didn't even make the final cast in Top Model's first guys/girls season) is also considered a very promising new face; many ANTM contestants have also worked solidly in the commercial sphere. Then there's also — get ready for an auspicious list — Tamara Weijenberg (winner of Holland's Next Top Model's fifth cycle), Vanessa Hegelmaier (who quit the third cycle of Germany's Next Top Model after suffering a concussion), Ivana Teklic (third place in Germany's Next Top Model's seventh season), Jisu Hong (as with Sora Choi above, of Korea's Next Top Model's third cycle), and Josefin Gustafsson (winner of Sweden's Next Top Model's sixth season) to name just a few more still.

Oh, and another legit tip-of-the-top top model, Suvi Koponen, got her start on the Finnish show Model School in 2005 (but this show was considered a separate reality TV model show concept).

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