Ever since its debut way back in 2003, America's Next Top Model has been cranking out the stunners.
But while some stars of the series seemed to walk the runway into oblivion, for these
models, the show was just the launchpad for their successful careers.
Ebonee Davis was a working model before landing fifth place on Cycle 18. She claimed that
— unlike the first-time models — her industry prowess would set her up for post-show success,
telling Seattle Met,
"They don't see that the experience of the show isn't correlated to the real world of
fashion modeling. I was modeling before the show, I already had a career before I went
on the show."
Davis went on to work for brands like Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret. And she's also
used her platform to advocate for diversity within the industry. She wrote in a letter
for Harper's Bazaar in 2016,
"As artists in the fashion industry, we are the embodiment of free speech. We set the
tone for society through the stories we tell."
"As people working in the industry, we have to speak to the self-esteem and the self-worth
of the people who are looking up to us."
But not everyone worked years in the craft before they made their mark. Cycle 12's Natalie
Pack was crowned Miss California USA in 2012 without having any previous pageant experience
— and later went on to land multiple high-profile gigs with GUESS.
"That campaign was…I don't know if anything will ever top it."
But while she's been hustling since the show, Pack revealed in 2018 that it hadn't always
been an easy experience. In documents obtained by TMZ, the model claimed she worked 48 jobs
for GUESS from 2015 to 2018, but said that the company hadn't paid her within 30 days,
which is required by law. Fortunately, Pack seems to have a solid support system. The
model married actor Aaron O'Connell in 2018, telling GahliaLahav.com,
"When [Aaron and I] are home together, we love spending time with our 4-year-old [dog
Fig], who fills our days with outdoor adventures like hiking and days at the beach."
Then of course, there's Cycle 20's Don Benjamin — who might not have been crowned the winner
of Guys & Girls, but who definitely made an impact on fans with his tattoos and piercing
green eyes. He admitted to Inked that he didn't expect much to come from his Top Model audition,
revealing,
"At that moment, I was pursuing music heavily. I didn't have much going on, so I figured
I would give it a try, not realizing it would be the break I needed."
"I'm keepin' my hip hop card. Sorry."
Everything changed for the model once he hit TV screens across America. Other than starring
as the love interest in Ariana Grande's music video for "Into You," Don revealed that his
most exciting gig since the show has been a campaign for GUESS. He told Hunger magazine,
"A few years ago I was without a job looking for work and applied at [GUESS] and didn't
get the job. Fast forward to today and I'm one of their main male models."
"I didn't go in wanting to win. I went in wanting to get third. Everyone remembers the
third person."
Another model got her big break from the series, as well. Cycle 7's third place stunner, Eugena
Washington, wasted no time in making her next move — appearing in the music video for
B.o.B. and Bruno Mars' hit single "Nothin' on You." She played it relatively low-key
until 2015, when she was tapped as Playboy's December Playmate of the Month — only to
land Playmate of the Year, in 2016. According to E! News, Washington was only the third
Black woman ever to hold the highly coveted title.
"I feel great. I'm just taking it all in and I'm super duper excited."
But Washington isn't the only Top Model alum to crush it in the industry. Cycle 14 favorite
Raina Hein may have landed in the runner-up spot to Krista White, but she went on to find
success modeling for numerous campaigns, commercials, music videos and runways. Hein explained to
FCM Style in 2014,
"I was just in Barcelona for a week shooting [a] campaign […] and was in Monaco and London
two weeks ago for a meeting with a magazine."
"I've accomplished so much. I've experienced so much, I learned an incredible amount. I've
become a model and it doesn't stop here."
But these days, Hein may be focusing her talents elsewhere. With just one look at her Instagram,
it's obvious that she's quite the devoted mom to her growing family. In 2019, she and
her husband, Rhett Ellison, welcomed baby number two into the bunch, and the foursome
looks happier than ever.
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