[ROYAL FASHION TANZANIA] The Hot New Models Changing The Face Of Fashion Week

If you haven't already heard of Herieth Paul, Maria Borges and Lineisy Montero, it's time to sit up and take note as this new wave of beauties (and their baby fros) are taking the SS16 catwalks by storm

Hereith strutting her stuff at Carolina Herrera

Rex

Change has been brewing for a while now as designers and the backstage glam team talk of 'individuality' and celebrating unique beauty (think Winnie Harlow). And yet the catwalks have still largely been home to an endless procession of identikit blonde, blue-eyed Eastern Europeans. Until now that is. We first spied Angolian native Maria Borge's cute cropped fro backstage at Carolina Herrera in NYC and then again at Diane Von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren, Zac Posen (we lost count after that but you get the picture.) She was joined on the runways by Lineisy Montero Feliz and Herieth Borges who also flaunted their natural afro hair and by doing so stuck a big two fingers up to fashion's (rather narrow) ideas of beauty - afterall, natural black hair is rarely seen on the catwalks - you only have to look at the stir Lineisy caused when she first shimmed down the AW15 Prada catwalk without a weave in sight. Montero's agency Next Models explained at the time; "I think Lineisy represents something completely new to what is in the beauty conversation in fashion at the current moment. Her natural hair on the Prada runway is important as it speaks to the range in beauty and the importance of embracing one's own natural beauty." We say; here here.

All hail the new model army (crib notes below).

HERIETH PAUL
Nationality: Tanzanian
Vital stats: 5'10", 32-23-34
Other vital stats: She has a sister named Happiness, She's appeared on the cover of Canadian ELLE, her mother is a diplomat and she's only just learnt to ride a bike

MARIA BORGES

Nationality: Angolian
Vital stats: 5'11", 32-24-34
Other vital stats: She walked the Victoria's Secret show in 2013 and 2014, she was born in Angola and raised by her siblings during the Angolan civil war, she refers to Riccardo Tisci as her 'Godfather' after several Givenchy exclusives

LINEISY MONTERO
Nationality: Dominican
Vital stats: 5'11", 31-23-34
Other vital stats: If she wasn't modelling she'd like to be an interior designer, she's appeared on the cover of Dazed magazine and Teen Vogue, her first ever show was Prada – not a bad first!