New Faces: The Rise of Turkish Models on International Runways

For many years, Turkish models were represented on international runways by only a handful of names. Today, however, a new generation is pushing the door open. In this article, we have compiled the story from the pioneers to today’s new faces, with sources.

For years, seeing a Turkish model on an international runway was considered an exception. In 2018, for instance, a young model from Istanbul told i-D that “there are no other Turkish models working internationally”. The picture today is still far from crowded, but it is changing. Faces discovered on Instagram, global stars of Turkish descent and rising application numbers at domestic competitions show that a new generation is at the door. That is why in this article we have compiled only publicly available successes verified by sources.

The pioneers: from the 1990s to the 2000s

Deniz Akkaya

Deniz Akkaya won the Best Model of Turkey competition in 1997 and took part in the international Elite Model Look competition. In 2006 she also served as host and head judge of Turkey’s adaptation of Next Top Model. This generation played a major part in making modelling visible as a profession, particularly in Turkey.

Tülin Şahin

Born in 1979 in Odense, Denmark, Tülin Şahin was discovered in a shopping centre and moved to Paris in 1998 to model. She later worked with Zeki Triko in Turkey. In short, her career is an early example of Turkish models who grew up or got their start abroad.

2018: The year the door opened

Öykü Baştaş: the first Turkish model to walk for Gucci

According to i-D’s interview dated 23 February 2018, Istanbul-born Öykü Baştaş became the first Turkish model to walk for Gucci in Milan. It was also her first runway experience. In addition to Gucci’s autumn/winter 2018 show, Baştaş appeared in shows for MSGM, Acne Studios, Burberry and Erdem. The most instructive part of the story is how she was discovered: Baştaş was spotted on Instagram after using IMG’s model scouting hashtag #weloveyourgenes. Her agency, Caliber Models, found her on Instagram; she then travelled to New York, met agencies and did test shoots. At the time she was an interior architecture student.

Günce Gözütok: a first at Balenciaga

According to a profile by Listelist, Günce Gözütok became the first Turkish model to walk in a Balenciaga show and the second Turkish model to walk at Paris Fashion Week. The same article recounts that Gözütok modelled in Turkey for around a year but did not attract enough interest. Hürriyet also reported on her as a Turkish model working in New York. In short, her story shows that a face overlooked at home can find recognition abroad.

A global star of Turkish descent: Mona Tougaard

Danish model Mona Tougaard is, in Arab News’ words, of Danish, Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian descent. Tougaard won Elite Model Look Denmark at 15. In 2019 she then made her runway debut as a Prada exclusive. In her first season she walked for Prada, Miu Miu, Valentino and Louis Vuitton, and closed Karl Lagerfeld’s final collection for Chanel. That same year, Dazed included her in its “Dazed 100” list.

Tougaard’s rise continues. In 2024 she was nominated for Model of the Year at The Fashion Awards. According to Arab News, on 5 October 2026 she walked in Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel spring/summer 2027 show at the Grand Palais, and for Sacai in the same season. She was also one of the faces of Saint Laurent’s summer 2026 campaign.

A growing pool at home

While international successes remain limited to individual names, interest in modelling in Turkey is growing:

Models of Turkey 2025: According to a report by Bulgarian news agency BTA, the competition held as part of Ankara Fashion Week was won by Sude Koşar.
Top Model of Türkiye 2026: According to a secondary source, the competition received 1,050 applications, and 25 women and 25 men competed in the final. As this figure comes from a single source, it should be treated with caution.
Istanbul agencies in international databases: Models.com lists Istanbul agencies such as True Models Istanbul, Flash Model and REEP Model Management. This shows that Turkish agencies are connected to the global network.
Vogue Türkiye’s focus on the new generation: For its 15th anniversary, the magazine published a shoot titled “New Generation 2025”.

5 lessons for new faces from these stories

Scouting now happens on the phone: Öykü Baştaş’s story shows the importance of natural photographs and the right platform.
Interest at home may be limited: Günce Gözütok’s experience is a reminder that a face overlooked in one market can stand out in another.
Competitions are a starting point: Elite Model Look was a stop on the path of both Deniz Akkaya and Mona Tougaard.
Choosing an agency is critical: Serious agencies do not ask for upfront registration or portfolio fees to take you on. Check whether the agency is listed in international databases; for a city-by-city verified list, see the Turkey Model Agencies Guide.
Education and a career can go hand in hand: Baştaş was still a student when she took to the runway.

Warning: the fake agency trap

The biggest obstacle facing new faces is often not talent but fraud. The Turkish press and legal websites describe cases in which people presenting themselves as agencies or casting firms collect money from candidates under the guise of “registration”, “photo” or “portfolio” fees. We have compiled 12 warning signs in our guide How to Spot a Fake Model Agency. Before meeting an agency, ask these questions:

Does the agency have a clear address, tax registration and published work by the models it represents?
Is it listed in international databases such as Models.com or the Fashion Model Directory?
Does it ask you for any fee before signing? If so, stay away.
Can you read the contract at home, without rushing, and show it to a lawyer if necessary?

In the stories of Öykü Baştaş and Günce Gözütok too, what made the difference was not paying money but being seen by the right people. That is why you do not need an expensive portfolio shoot for the first step; simple photos taken in natural light are often enough. We explain how to take them in our guide What It Takes to Become a Model.

Become our next new face

At Fresh Models Magazin, we offer Turkey’s new faces a trustworthy and free showcase. Every month we introduce a model selected by our jury as the “New Face of the Month”. The selection is entirely editorial. There is no voting.

Applying is free. Anyone asking you for money on behalf of Fresh Models Magazin is therefore a fraud.
Only applicants aged 18 and over are accepted.
A few make-up-free photos taken in natural light are enough; no professional portfolio is required.
What’s more, your photos are published only with your explicit consent, and you can withdraw your consent at any time.

Click here for a free model application

First steps towards an international career for Turkish models

What these stories have in common is that an international career often begins with a trustworthy mother agency. A mother agency introduces the model to agencies abroad, manages contracts and helps with career planning. That is why choosing your first agency is at least as decisive as your physical attributes.

To compare agencies working in Turkey, see our guide to model agencies in Turkey. You can read the story of the first Turkish model on the Gucci runway in i-D’s original interview.

Sources

Image: The runway at Amsterdam’s Westergas fashion week, 2010 (representative image) — Michiel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0