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Joan Smalls
Twitter: @joansmalls
Instagram: joansmalls
Never one to shy away from playing with fashion and beauty looks (remember that neon purple lip at the Met Gala?), Joan Smalls is a fashion favorite among iconic brands like Emilio Pucci, Fendi and Chanel, as well as more modern names like Tom Ford, Alexander Wang and Rag & Bone. This fall alone, she has landed campaigns with Gucci, Missoni and iCB. As if further proof were needed that Smalls is fashion royalty, her first American Vogue cover just made its debut for September (making her the first model of color to grace the cover since Naomi Campbell 25 years ago).
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Senait Gidey
Instagram: senaitgidey
At 19 years old, the Canadian-born model is set to take the fashion world by storm. Her Instagram feed features a mix of gorgeous editorial photos, complete runway looks and goofy backstage antics. Already a runway pro, walking for A-list designers that included Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Burberry last season alone, Gidey is also a favorite of Harper's Bazaar Global Fashion Director, Carine Roitfeld.
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Riley Montana
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Chanel Iman
Twitter: @chaneliman
Instagram: chaneliman
The model of Korean and African American descent walked her first high-fashion runway at the age of 16 for big-time names like Marc Jacobs, Phillip Lim and Valentino. Known for her easygoing attitude off the runway and her self-proclaimed love for In-N-Out Burger, Iman was the first black model in eight years to walk for Gucci in Spring 2009.
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Arlenis Sosa
Twitter: @arlenissosa
Instagram: realarlenissosa
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Sosa lived out every girl's Cinderella dreams (with Anna Wintour serving as her fairy godmother) when Wintour sent the model to the Met Gala with designer Oscar de la Renta just two weeks after arriving in New York. Having since walked the runway for designers like Zac Posen and Badgley Mischka, the Lancôme spokesmodel has also made it her mission to give back, founding the Arlenis Sosa Foundation in 2009 to help raise the awareness of and funds for juvenile diabetes in her home country.
As fashion changes, getting bolder and more exciting every season, so too do the faces behind the biggest brands. Whether their muses are walking the runway or the red carpet, designers are clamoring after a new, more diverse set of faces with an impressive following of their own to model their clothes. From established trendsetters like Rihanna to fashion newcomers like Riley Montana, you can spot these jet-setting "It" girls working with fashion's biggest designers -- be it strutting the catwalk or sitting front row.
