Winnie Harlow

Winnie Harlow, born Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young, is a Canadian fashion model, public speaker, actress, and entrepreneur. She is widely recognized for her work in the international fashion industry as well as her public advocacy regarding the chronic skin condition vitiligo, with which she was diagnosed during childhood.

Harlow was born on July 27, 1994, in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, to parents Lisa Brown and Windsor Young. She is of Jamaican heritage and grew up alongside two sisters. At four years old, she was diagnosed with vitiligo, a condition characterized by the depigmentation of portions of the skin.

Harlow gained prominent public attention in 2014 after being discovered on Instagram by Tyra Banks and cast in the 21st cycle of the U.S. television series America's Next Top Model. As the only Canadian contestant ever cast on the show, she was initially eliminated during the second week of the finals. She subsequently participated in the show's comeback series, secured the highest average public vote score, and returned to the main competition before being eliminated again in episode 13, finishing ninth overall.

Following her television appearance, Harlow established a career in fashion modeling. She became the official brand representative for the Spanish clothing label Desigual and walked for Ashish at London Fashion Week. Over her career, she appeared in advertising campaigns and spreads for brands including Diesel, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Swarovski, Sprite, Steve Madden, Nike, Puma, MAC, and Victoria's Secret, as well as publications such as Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Complex, Vogue Italia, and Ebony. In 2018, she became the first model with vitiligo to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Beyond modeling, Harlow has engaged in public speaking regarding vitiligo, creating a YouTube video on the topic in 2011 and giving a TEDx presentation in 2014. She has also appeared in music videos for artists including JMSN, Eminem, Calvin Harris, and the Black Eyed Peas, and made a cameo in Beyoncé's 2016 visual album Lemonade. On television, she served as a judge for the second season of Amazon Prime Video's Making the Cut.

Harlow expanded into acting with roles in the 2023 horror film Alone at Night and the romantic comedy The Perfect Find. In 2024, she made a guest appearance as herself on Grown-ish, provided a voice role in Monster High, and voiced the lead character Noni in the Marvel Cinematic Universe animated series Eyes of Wakanda on Disney+. In March 2022, she launched Cay Skin, a sun care and skincare line inspired by a severe sunburn she experienced after being asked to forego sunscreen on a photo shoot. Among her recognitions, Harlow received the Role Model award at the 2015 Portuguese GQ Men of The Year event and was named to the BBC 100 Women list.