Greta Varlese

Greta Varlese admits her model-beginnings aren’t the typical off-the-street discovery anecdote, “It’s not the dream story. It’s not like I got discovered on the street.” Her initial success was sowed by her own efforts when she entered herself in the 2014 Elite Model Look Italia–winning–and subsequently making it to the top 10 in the world finals. “Someone introduced me to Riccardo Tisci – I flew to Paris to meet him and was part of the men’s show. After that, everything started to happen,” Greta says of her succession from new face to breakout star following the contest (That someone was casting director Patrizia Pilotti). “I never expected it to be a serious career. I just wanted to do something in modeling because I was tall and everyone was like, “Go and try.” It ended up differently than I expected, I had no idea how the fashion industry was. I just wanted to make some money.” Now, the entrancing Italian has upped the ante, scaling up her buzz to top model proportions, complete with a resume of desirable campaigns, shows and editorials. For requests, there’s no end in sight, 2016 yielding campaign bookings for Givenchy, Valentino and Zara. As her demand rises, so too do her ambitions, “Obviously there are some dreams. I just live in the moment. I’d like to be on some covers, but I’m not going to say which–It’s a secret!” Mum’s the word there, but also when it comes to something no one would guess about Greta: “If they don’t know, they’re not supposed to know.” Beyond her smolder that is practically palpable, fiery mystique only adds industry appeal.

Above: Maison Close bodysuit.

Left: Maison Close bodysuit. Right: Electric Love Army mesh top.

The Graduates

The next frontier for these former Hot List members has arrived! Now part of the Top 50, these girls of the moment have hustled their way through countless hours on the runway and in front of the camera for their spot but this year their recognition is with a twist – the guys are in on the action. Sebastian Kim captures candid portraits of these model muses for this special story shot exclusively for Models.com. Styled by Vanessa Chow in New York black we take a brief look into the humble beginnings and meteoric rise of this year’s graduating line-up of Bella Hadid, Greta Varlese, Jing Wen, Lineisy Montero, Marjan Jonkman, Tami Williams and Jordan Barrett.