Winnie Harlow
Born 1994 · Age 31
Canadian fashion model and public spokesperson known professionally as Winnie Harlow; rose to prominence on America's Next Top Model (2014), advocate for vitiligo awareness, high-profile runway/modeling campaigns, music video/TV/film appearances, and founder of skincare brand Cay Skin.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Winnie Harlow and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Mississauga / Greater Toronto Area
Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young (later known as Winnie Harlow) was born to Lisa Brown and Windsor Young in the Greater Toronto Area.
Diagnosed with vitiligo
Diagnosed at age four with vitiligo, a chronic skin condition causing depigmentation in patches.
Sustained severe bullying at school
Experienced prolonged bullying and verbal harassment in childhood and adolescence because of vitiligo, leading to multiple school changes and emotional distress.
Dropped out of high school
Left high school amid intense harassment; this turning point contributed to later personal growth and career focus.
YouTube: 'Vitiligo: A Skin Condition, not a Life Changer' posted
Posted a personal YouTube video discussing living with vitiligo and answering viewer questions, early public outreach on the condition.
Photographed by Nick Knight (first major fashion shoot)
Received an email from famed photographer Nick Knight and shot in London — described by Harlow as her first 'real' modelling gig and a turning point in her career.
Television credit: America's Next Top Model (Cycle 21)
Competed on ANTM (Cycle 21) in 2014—primary breakout TV role that launched modelling career.
Signed with management / agencies (First Access Entertainment, later CAA/Women Management/The Squad)
Managed early by First Access Entertainment and later signed with major agencies including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Women Management (Milan) and The Squad (London).
Discovered on Instagram by Tyra Banks / Cast on ANTM Cycle 21
Discovered on Instagram by Tyra Banks and became one of the 14 finalists on America's Next Top Model (Cycle 21), bringing widespread attention to her modelling career.
Eliminated early on America's Next Top Model (2nd week)
Eliminated in the second week of the finals on ANTM Cycle 21, then participated in the show's 'comeback series'.
Eliminated again from ANTM (episode 13)
Eliminated a second time in episode 13 of ANTM (ninth eliminated overall in the cycle).
Signed major brand campaign: Desigual (official brand representative)
After ANTM she modelled for and became an official brand representative for the Spanish clothing brand Desigual.
Music video: JMSN – 'The One'
Appeared in JMSN's music video 'The One', one of her early music video credits.
TV appearance: Access Hollywood (June 26, 2014)
Appeared on Access Hollywood (episode dated June 26, 2014) during the ANTM exposure period.
Walked and closed Ashish at London Fashion Week (SS15)
Walked and closed for Ashish's spring/summer 2015 collection during London Fashion Week in September 2014.
Returned via ANTM 'comeback series'
After the comeback series, she received the highest average public vote score and returned to the main competition.
TEDx talk on vitiligo
Delivered a TEDx presentation in November 2014 discussing her experience living with vitiligo.
Music video: Eminem – 'Guts Over Fear'
Appeared in Eminem's music video 'Guts Over Fear' (Billboard item dated Nov 24, 2014).
Featured in many major brand advertising campaigns
Appeared in campaigns for brands such as Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Steve Madden, Nike, Puma, MAC and others, building commercial repertoire.
Editorial: Showstudio and i-D / Dazed features
Contributed editorials and features to fashion websites and magazines such as Showstudio, i-D and Dazed, reinforcing editorial credentials.
Modeled for Diesel spring/summer 2015 campaign (shot by Nick Knight)
Featured in Diesel's spring/summer 2015 campaign photographed by Nick Knight, a high-profile fashion campaign.
Features: Glamour (Spain/Italy), Complex, Cosmopolitan, Vogue Italia
Featured across leading fashion publications in mid–late 2015, boosting profile (Glamour, Complex Aug/Sep 2015, Cosmopolitan Aug 2015, Vogue Italia feature).
Award: Gala Spa Awards – 'Beauty Idol'
Received the 'Beauty Idol' award at the Gala Spa Awards (2015).
Ebony magazine cover / editorial (September issue)
Shot the cover and editorial spread for Ebony magazine's September 2015 issue alongside Fatima Siad.
Award: Portuguese GQ Men of the Year – 'Role Model'
Presented with the Role Model award by Portuguese GQ Men of the Year (2015).
Public advocacy: ongoing vitiligo spokesperson role
Became a public spokesperson and visible advocate for people with vitiligo through talks, interviews, and public commentary.
Appeared in Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' visual album
Had a cameo appearance in Beyoncé's visual album 'Lemonade', increasing mainstream visibility.
Commercial: Sprite
Featured in a commercial for Sprite (2016).
Increasing estimated net worth milestone
By 2016, after major campaigns, TV appearances and the Lemonade cameo, estimated net worth rose into the low-seven-figure range (estimate).
Campaign: Swarovski 'Crystaldust Crew'
Featured in a Swarovski campaign/YouTube content as part of the 'Crystaldust Crew' (YouTube date July 26, 2016).
Named to BBC's '100 Women' list
Included on BBC's '100 Women' list (BBC source dated Nov 21, 2016). Note: some sources also reference BBC recognition in 2018.
Award: Shorty Awards – Fashion
Won the Shorty Award in the Fashion category (year listed in her awards entries).
Award: Glamour Awards – Editor's Award
Received the Editor's Award at the Glamour Awards (2017).
Campaigns and brand partnerships (Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, MAC, Nike, Puma, Steve Madden)
Continued high-profile advertising campaigns and partnerships with global fashion and beauty brands.
Modelled in Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (first model with vitiligo)
Became the first model with vitiligo to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (2018), cited as a major milestone in representation.
Major industry recognition
Victoria's Secret runway and multiple Vogue covers cited as among her greatest career achievements and markers of mainstream acceptance.
Flag bearer at the Canadian Grand Prix (chequered flag incident)
Invited to wave the chequered flag at the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix; a miscommunication led to the flag being waved a lap early and the race being declared based on lap 68 of 70.
TV appearances: The Tonight Show, Ellen, Vogue video features
Multiple mainstream TV appearances and feature videos, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2019).
Appearances on 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' (2019–2020)
Appeared in 3 episodes of the reality series between 2019 and 2020.
Relationship with Kyle Kuzma begins (public)
Publicly linked with NBA player Kyle Kuzma; sources list partnership starting in 2020.
Guest judge: RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 12 episode)
Served as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race (episode announced/covered in Feb 2020 listings).
Announced as judge for Making the Cut Season 2
Named as a judge on Season 2 of Amazon Prime Video's fashion competition series 'Making the Cut', alongside Jeremy Scott and Heidi Klum (announcement March 2, 2021).
Entrepreneurial milestone: Cay Skin launch impact
Launch of Cay Skin positioned Harlow as a founder/entrepreneur in addition to modelling; product-market fit tied to her industry experience with sunscreen on shoots.
Founded Cay Skin (sun care & skincare brand)
Launched Cay Skin in March 2022 — a sun care and skincare line motivated by experiences with sunscreens that leave a white cast on camera.
Music video: Wizkid – 'True Love'
Featured in Wizkid's music video 'True Love' (released March 30, 2022).
Film role: 'The Perfect Find' (2023)
Appeared in the 2023 film 'The Perfect Find' (filmography credit).
Film role: 'Alone at Night' (2023)
Acted in the film 'Alone at Night' (credited role in 2023 filmography).
Voice role: Monster High – Dr. Alcott
Voice role credited in 'Monster High' episode 'Codex Come Back/Officially Complicated' (2024).
Music video appearances: Future/Metro Boomin/The Weeknd and Shakira ('We Still Don't Trust You', 'Soltera')
Featured in high-profile 2024 music video(s) including 'We Still Don't Trust You' (Future, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd) and Shakira's 'Soltera' (sources list 2024 credits).
Voice role (scheduled): Eyes of Wakanda
Listed as voice role for 'Eyes of Wakanda' (episode 'Into the Lion's Den'), credit listed for 2025 (future-dated credit in filmography).
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Winnie Harlow and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Madison Beer
Born 1999 · Age 26
American singer-songwriter and author who rose to fame after Justin Bieber shared her YouTube cover; released EP 'As She Pleases' (2018), albums 'Life Support' (2021) and 'Silence Between Songs' (2023), co-founded skincare brand Know Beauty, voiced Evelynn in virtual band K/DA, and published memoir 'The Half of It'.
Justin Jefferson
Born 1999 · Age 26
American professional football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings; starred at LSU (CFP national champion 2020), drafted in 2020, multi-time Pro Bowler, 2022 AP Offensive Player of the Year, record-setting receiver through his first five NFL seasons.
Dream
Born 1999 · Age 26
American YouTuber, Twitch streamer, Minecraft speedrunner and musician known as Dream; creator of Minecraft Manhunt and the Dream SMP; active online since 2014 and rose to major popularity 2019–2021.
Sualeh Asif
Born 1999 · Age 26
Karachi-born mathematician and computer scientist; MIT-educated co‑founder and Chief Product Officer of Anysphere, maker of Cursor, an AI-native IDE valued at roughly $9.9B in 2025.
James Charles
Born 1999 · Age 26
American beauty YouTuber, makeup artist, and influencer known for popularizing male beauty content on social media; first male CoverGirl ambassador; creator of Sisters Collection with Morphe; host/producer of YouTube Originals 'Instant Influencer'.
Ana Sayre
Born 1999 · Age 26
Anamaria Sayre is a Mexican-American multimedia producer, reporter and co-host of NPR Music's Alt.Latino. She produces El Tiny (the Latin Tiny Desk series) and has produced Tiny Desk concerts and stories elevating Latinx artists and culture.