Not many of us are sad to see 2016 go, and instead of worrying about what the future holds in the uncertain world of 2017, we’re opting to distract ourselves by exploring the positive things we have to look forward to in the new year. As a part of this resolution on our behalf, we’ve created a list of some of the fresh faces in entertainment—modeling, acting, music—we believe we’ll be seeing plastered everywhere in the new year. Here, 10 girls who warrant watching in 2017.
Philomena Kwao
We'd prefer if we didn't have to call out the fact that Philomena is a plus-size model, but until women of all shapes become the norm in the modeling world this is still, for better or worse, a notable fact. This year, she appeared in Sports Illustrated, among other extraordinary achievements for a new model, and she says that modeling has helped her accept and embrace the color of her skin for the first time. (She was always cool with her curves, in case you're wondering!) She cites runway work as a goal moving forward, so we're hoping to see her strutting her stuff in 2017.
Ruth Negga
Unless you've seen Loving—the new film about real-life interracial couple Mildred and Richard Loving, whose desire to marry in 1967 turned went all the way to the Supreme Court—you might be wondering why Ruth Negga is on the cover of January's Vogue. Once those of you who haven't yet seen the film are able to witness her incredible performance, however, we doubt you'll have anymore questions. The Irish-Ethiopian actress also currently stars as Tulip O'Hare in AMC's Preacher, which will debut a sophomore season in 2017. That role, which couldn't be more different than Ruth's role in Loving, required that she prove herself to fans of the original comic book who expected Tulip to be cast as a blonde bombshell. With many critics subsequently calling Negga the best part of the show, we think you could say she's succeeded, and then some. We predict that her Vogue-cover coup will be the least of her accomplishments in 2017, and we'll especially be watching for her to wow on the red carpet this awards season.
Maggie Rogers
Unless you have no soul, Pharrell is undoubtedly one of your favorite people on the planet. If you've ever watched The Voice, you know he's one of the sweetest, most thoughtful judges. Still, that doesn't mean he is easily blown away by talent, which is why his filmed reaction to Maggie Roger's song Alaska during his Masterclass at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute went viral, and launched the aspiring songstress's career. Her debut album is expected to release in 2017, which is why all eyes are on the 22 year old in the new year.
Alanna Arrington
The insanely gorgeous Alanna made waves (or curls?) at the Victoria's Secret fashion show this year by flaunting her natural 'do. In the aftermath, she told Harper's Bazaar , "I'm so glad [they didn't straighten my hair], that was something that was really important to me. This show isn't just for me or anything. There are girls watching the show, watching me, and it's for them too. They're going to see me out there with curly hair that isn't the typical blown-out bombshell and they're going to say, 'Well she can do it— I can do it.' It's all I want for a girl with curly hair to say, 'Yes, I can.' These individual looks that every girl has, these are sexy now." We agree, and we hope to see more of Alanna's particular look in 2017.
Julia Goldani Telles
You would be hard-pressed to watch The Affair and not notice the gorgeous-yet-nightmarish teenage daughter played by Julia Goldani Telles. That said, it's her role on Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life which really got the internet talking, because—as we all know—everyone, everywhere is obsessed with that series. Regardless of what gets her the attention, however, it's deserved. We're just hoping that her next move is a dance-related show, as she's been professionally trained and as dance shows are our absolute favorite. (Sidenote: If you agree, we suggest you binge-watch Dance Academy on Netflix stat.)
Daya
If your 2016 involves being invited to perform at the White House and getting nominated for a Grammy, it may seem as though you've peaked (unless, of course, you're Beyonce). We doubt this will be the case for 18-year-old singer-songwriter Daya, whose uniquely powerful pipes undoubtedly made The Chainsmokers song "Don't Let Me Down" on which they were featured a hit. What we love most about Daya is that her fame did not begin online; instead, she was taken straight to radio the old-fashioned way, causing honchos at some radio stations to complain, "Uhhhhhh, my daughter has more followers than her." That's unlikely to be the case today.
Dilone
21-year-old model Dilone had a pretty big 2016—she walked too many runways to count (Stella McCartney, Chloe, Victoria's Secret, etc.), featured on her fair share of magazine covers (i-D, Wonderland, etc.) , and participated in a number of covetable campaigns (Balmain, Versace, etc.). We're predicting she'll be as ubiquitous in 2017 as a Kendall or a Gigi, and we're all for the overexposure of this fresh face.
Mali Koopman
Young Mali Koopman, a screenwriting student from Sydney, likes to stay in and watch movies. Unfortunately, that's becoming less and less possible given the momentum of her career, which has seen her walking runways for Chanel, Vera Wang, Céline, Calvin Klein, Balenciaga and Lavin, to name a few. In February, Vogue wondered if Mali would be Australia's next big model export," and we're predicting this question will be answered in 2017 with a resounding "yes."
Camille Rowe
Camille Rowe isn't new to the modeling scene by any account—she was discovered in a cafe in Paris in 2008, and has been steadily working ever since. Still, the fact that she was tapped to walk in the Victoria's Secret fashion show this year seemingly out of nowhere points to a momentum she hasn't necessarily had in the past. Though obviously beautiful, we love Camille because she's accessible—at 5'7", she's on the shorter side for a model, and she doesn't give all that many f---'s about what people think about her in a way that's reminiscent of one of our other favorites, Cara Delevingne. We're expecting big—and potentially outrageous—things from Camille in 2017.
Willow Smith
Willow Smith no longer needs to be identified by her famous family—when you're the new face of Chanel, we think it's fair to say you're defined by more than just your parentage. She burst onto the scene all the way back in 2010 (she was 10) with her hit single, "Whip My Hair," and she's been steadily building a unique and impressive persona ever since. The multi-hyphenate is already a style star at just 16 years of age, but we're predicting the new year will take her look, and her fame, to new heights.
Emily Robinson
At just 18, Transparent star Emily Robinson has already directed a film, entitled Virgin Territory. An outspoken feminist, she was attracted to the project because of its sex-positive theme. In 2017, we'll see her starring alongside Brie Larson in the film Unicorn Store, but we have a feeling that's far from the only place she'll be featuring in the new year.
