Current index status
Rising / Global Watch.
This profile remains unnumbered until its current evidence meets the Global 50 threshold. It is an editorial assessment, not a judgement of personal worth.
Index Rating · Editorial pillars · Medium confidence · evidence reviewed
84.2
- Runway · 40%
- 75
- Campaigns · 30%
- 88
- Editorial · 20%
- 91
- Cultural aura · 10%
- 96
Casting ledger
Verified walks.
No house-level walks on the casting ledger yet. The desk adds rows only when a public source confirms the booking.
Open the casting ledger ↗01 / Why they matter
What Paloma is known for.
A leading face of the body-inclusivity movement.
02 / Career record
Early life
Paloma Kai Shockley Elsesser was born on 12 April 1992 in the London Borough of Camden, England, and raised in Los Angeles; her mother is African-American, and her father is of Chilean and Swiss descent. Her siblings include director/producer Kanyessa McMahon, actor and model Ama, and rapper and professional skateboarder Sage Elsesser. She was discovered on Instagram by makeup artist Pat McGrath around 2014, a discovery that launched her modelling career.
03 / Career record
Cover milestones and a turn to acting, 2018–2021
Elsesser appeared on British Vogue’s April 2018 cover as part of a group of nine models, and made her screen acting debut in the Safdie brothers’ film Uncut Gems in 2019. She fronted American Vogue’s January 2021 cover, building a campaign and editorial record that has included Nike, Fenty Beauty, Victoria’s Secret, Proenza Schouler and Mercedes-Benz.
04 / Career record
Recognition and recent record, 2023–2026
Elsesser won Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2023, reported as the first plus-size model to receive the honour, and also received a Latin American Fashion Awards Model of the Year recognition that year. She walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024, and fronted covers for Vogue Adria in April 2025 and Vogue Germany that September. She is represented by IMG Models across New York, Paris, Milan, London and Sydney.
05 / At a glance
Quick facts.
- —Born 12 April 1992 in Camden, London, and raised in Los Angeles; mixed African-American and Chilean-Swiss heritage
- —Discovered on Instagram by makeup artist Pat McGrath around 2014
- —Appeared on British Vogue’s April 2018 cover as part of a group of nine models
- —Fronted American Vogue’s January 2021 cover
- —Won Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2023, reported as the first plus-size model to receive the honour
- —Walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024
06 / Current index evidence
Why is Paloma Elsesser on the Rising watchlist?
Confidence: Editorial pillars · Medium confidence · evidence reviewed. Scores may change when a source is corrected or new work enters the current window.
Sources & evidence
Facts are summarised in our own words from these public records. Independent editorial profile; not endorsed by the subject, agencies or brands. See our editorial & sourcing policy.
Explore the index
Where Paloma sits.
Nationality & discipline
Runway & representation
Facts on this page are drawn from public work records and industry press, and summarised in our own words. This is an independent editorial profile — it is not endorsed by the subject, their agencies, or the brands named. Last reviewed 2026-07-14. Corrections: desk@thecastindex.com.