Model U.N.
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The native Puerto Rican’s chocolate eyes and cheekbones that just won’t quit bring to mind Beverly Johnson and Liya Kebede. Meanwhile, her up-to-there legs and killer curves have drawn comparisons with Zoë Saldana. (“That happened a lot when Avatar came out,” she admits.) But when the folks at Estée Lauder noticed Smalls, they just saw pure, relatable beauty: The 21-year-old was named a spokesmodel for the brand last December.
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The latest in a run of Chinese models to make it big on this side of the Pacific, the Wenzhou native has a rougher-edged, more otherworldly aesthetic than her countrywomen Liu Wen and Shu Pei Qin. Discovered four years ago in a modeling competition—“They’re very popular in China,” she explains—the 21-year-old is still trying to convince her family that she made the right career choice. “They think it’s too exhausting!”
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Within weeks of moving to New York last year from her hometown of Matamata, New Zealand, the 17-year-old was cast in an astounding 60 fashion shows. “I did all four cities, and I kept a list and checked them off,” she says with a smile. The secret to her sudden success? Come-hither eyes, chiseled cheekbones, and a sculpted jawline that project a rocker-tough glamour despite her tender age.