Ali Stephens
Birthday: May 10, 1991
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Agencies: Elite, Marilyn, Models 1, Why Not

Every Fashion Week, a herd of lanky-limbed models swarm into New York, Paris, and Milan, like an invasion of tall, high-cheekboned aliens. There are the runway veterans (Freja, Sasha, Iekeliene), back to claim their usual spots as the first and last runway exits. There are the recognized supers who only do a few shows (Gisele, Natalia). And there are the newbies, around for a year or two at most, but ascending (or not) the ranks. Hard to imagine standing out in a sea of so much pretty, but this season, Ali Stephens, a high-school junior from Salt Lake City, moved by consensus to the top with her classic, fresh-faced beauty. Stephens made but one appearance in New York—at Calvin Klein, where she opened the show. For models, that’s a major coup, a pass to potential super status. Her look had international appeal, too. Chaperoned by her mother, Stephens went to Milan (16 shows) and Paris (a marathon 25 shows in eight days).

Interview by Kendall Herbst.