Hilary Rhoda

The perfectly stereotypical "Healthy and Wealthy" American, Hilary Rhoda, 21, is one of the bankable models in the world of fashion. Athletic, lean, fresh and more "girl next door" than inaccessible android, the latest Estée Lauder icon is undeniably one of the most requested top models of the moment.

Rhoda's career path resembles the Ralph Lauren version of the American Dream. She was born in Maryland in 1987, and received a classical, preppy education in a girls' private school. She was an excellent student and talented athlete, especially in field hockey.

Despite being more of a tomboy than a Lolita, eager for the weekends to compete with her brothers, Rhoda already dreamt of becoming a model. When she heard about a casting on the radio that was to take place in Washington, her mother and she, then 15, jumped in the family car and headed towards her destiny.

Her slender physique, determined chin, deep blue eyes and thick eyebrows were quickly noticed and she found herself booked for several projects. The trend at the moment was for thin, Eastern European models, however, and her athletic and healthy build were reproached and judged to be "too American."

This did not prevent her from being booked for photo shoots, however, especially for Ralph Lauren. The famous New York IMG agency quickly became interested in her and had her sign a contract. The pace of her career began to pick up, and although Rhoda finished her studies and graduated with honors, she decided to move to New York and dedicate herself to her new life rather than enroll in one of the prestigious universities that had accepted her.

In 2005, she walked for Balenciaga, opened for Valentino, then appeared in the Hermès and Gap ad campaigns. At that point, Rhoda was just one model among many and had yet to separate herself from the pack. Things changed radically in 2006 when Nicolas Ghesquière chose her to open for Balenciaga and appear in his ad campaign.

This designer has so much influence in the fashion business that his choice in a model becomes her ticket to glory. With the blessing of fashion's darling, Rhoda found herself plowed under by requests - everyone wanted the American girl with the diaphanous skin and obvious charm.

The events that followed marked her entry into the inner circle of "it" girls: she appeared on several Vogue covers and opened fashion shows. In June, she posed for Steven Meisel for the cover of Vogue Italy, then in August for Mario Testino for Vogue France. In September, she opened the shows for shows La Perla, Derek Lam, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy. Her career had been launched and her freckled face appeared in numerous ad campaigns, e.g., Givenchy, Donna Karan and Gucci.

Success did not affect her freshness and simplicity. Whether backstage, on the catwalks or during a photo session, everyone agreed that Rhoda was adorable. She responds that she has been so spoiled that it would be indecent to not be happy and nice to others around her all the time.

In addition to being one of the top 15 models most in demand around the world, Rhoda loves her job. She adores being made up and coiffed for hours and seeing her beauty rendered sublime in thousands of different ways. She loves the backstage excitement and adrenaline of the shows. She has even found a way to take advantage of all the time she spends in airplanes or waiting before shows - she uses it to keep in touch with her family and friends through text messages and emails.

Everything is going well for her; she made the cover of Vogue U.S. in 2007 with the other top models of the moment, classified by Forbes as the best paid models in the business.

As for fashion, she admits to preferring Marc Jacobs to Miu Miu. She is not a fashion victim, however, and is quite comfortable in jeans and a blazer. It has to be said that she does not need much to be beautiful. As for sports, like Gisele Bündchen or Daria Werbowy, Rhoda does not have to work to keep her figure; between jogging, pilates, hockey and swimming, this recently turned vegetarian has no problems burning off the calories.

In 2007, her contract with cosmetics giant Estée Lauder made her known to all America. With her remarkable face, athletic build, work ethic and lucky star, Hilary Rhoda seems ready to shine for a long time in front of the flashing cameras.