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Meet the New Girl: How Julia Saner Went From Winning a Modeling Contest to Becoming a Face of Valentino

Two years ago Julia Saner won the 2009 International Elite Model Look contest. The now 18-year-old Swiss’s prize included a contract with Elite Paris, which would lead to her signing with Paul Rowland’s new Ford Models editorial division in 2010. During the spring 2011 shows, Saner skipped New York and London Fashion Weeks, and debuted at the spring Gucci show in Milan. Before the week was over, she made high-profile appearances at Fendi and Roberto Cavalli. But Saner’s major coup was booking the first look at Valentino, which led to her becoming one of the label’s spring 2011 faces, alongside Freja Beha and Caroline Brasch Nielsen. Soon after that, she was on set with Mario Testino for a spread in next month’s Vogue. Look for Saner on only the best catwalks at New York Fashion Week next month.

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Meet the New Girl: How Julia Saner Went From Winning a Modeling Contest to Becoming a Face of Valentino