Some models are lucky enough to be scouted by an agent, but being scooped up by a designer is an entirely different ball game. That's exactly what happened to Aminata, born Mia Aminata Niaria in Senegal in 1985. The striking beauty caught the eye of Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz in 2006, and in October of that year she made a spectacular debut at the Spring 2007 Lanvin show in Paris. 

Since then, Aminata has been making the climb to model superstardom. She has walked for practically every major designer in all the fashion capitals, from Proenza Schouler and Ralph Lauren in New York to Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood in Paris. Her list of editorials is equally substantial, having graced the pages of Harper's Bazaar, AnOther Magazine, and several international versions of Vogue. 

Aminata considers Iman and Naomi Campbell as personal icons and has stated that if she weren't modeling she would pursue a career in graphic design.