Do you know this model? She walked more fashion shows than anyone in 2021

She is only 21 years old, and she already attracts the flashes of all fashion photographers. With 34 catwalk appearances in 2022 and even more in 2021, Mika Schneider is the model everyone is talking about. Discover the meteoric rise of this Franco-Japanese top model, the new darling of luxury houses.

Mika Schneider was born in Paris on August 30, 2001. She grew up in a bicultural home since her father is French and her mother is Japanese.

Her father being an expat, Mika lived in different countries throughout her childhood and adolescence. Besides Paris and Tokyo, her family also settled in Russia and India.

It is in this family context that Mika became a polyglot. She speaks French, Japanese, and English fluently, and a few words of Russian and German.

As surprising as it may seem, Mika Schneider never dreamed of becoming a model. "I never wanted to be a model and my family was never very fashion-oriented, " the young woman revealed to Vogue France. "One day, in India, my mother, who is good at photography, took some shots of me with her new camera. I then started a 'pro' account and sent these photos to agencies in Japan."

It was in 2019, the year of her bachelor's degree, that the young Mika took her first steps in modeling. Having signed up with a Japanese agency, she received a private message on her Instagram account that would set her career in motion...

Thanks to her Instagram account, Mika was quickly spotted by the international agency Elite Model Management. She could barely believe it. "I looked if the person was real..." But then, after graduation "we contacted Elite directly," she explained in the program Daily on TMC.

Photo: Instagram / @mikaschndr

Her debut in modeling was stunning. In September 2019, Mika walked the runway for Prada's Spring/Summer 2020 show in Milan. She was immediately noticed, and the fashion world fell at her feet.

Yves Saint-Laurent, Miu Miu, Dior, Chanel, Valentino, Versace or Louis Vuitton: the biggest luxury houses have courted Mika Schneider. All want to see her wear their new collections and parade on their catwalks during Fashion Weeks.

At 20, the top model ran a marathon at her first Fashion Weeks. Figuratively speaking, of course! Mika Schneider appeared in 53 shows. She became the model who participated in more shows in 2021 than anyone else!

Mika Schneider captivates on the catwalks with her determined gaze and confident steps. She modifies her approach to the creations she's wearing, the atmosphere, and the requirements of the brand: elegance at Hermès, hip play at Versace, and a decisive step at Vuitton.

The ease of adaptation is mostly thanks to the many places she's lived in: "After going through several phases..., I can finally say that my identity looks like a patchwork. Every place I've lived and every experience I've had has shaped me in some way and improved my adaptability," she told Vogue France.

Vogue Japan, Vogue USA, Vogue France, Vogue Hong Kong, iD Magazine... All over the world, her face appears on the covers of fashion magazines.

Photo: Cover of Vogue USA April 2020 and Vogue Hong Kong May 2022

In addition to Fashion Weeks, brands also call on Mika to collaborate on their advertising campaigns. The supermodel has already been a muse for several brands, such as Saint-Laurent, Valentino Beauty, and Zara.

In August 2022, Harper's Bazaar chose Mika Schneider as one of its "icons" of the year, describing her as the "current darling of the international catwalks."

Mika is in demand from all over the fashion world and it is remarkable how she keeps up with all the shows, advertising campaigns, photo shoots, and interviews. "At one time or another, I always try to come back to earth with little rituals and I favor quality sleep," she explains to Vogue France. "For this, I try to meditate as much as possible, leave my phone aside, practice self-massage, and eat energizing ingredients."

If the Franco-Japanese already seems at the peak of her career, she is still only at the beginning. Remember her name, because with her 21 years - and her 1.78 m - Mika Schneider still has a bright future ahead of her!