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Sora Choi
Photograph: BAUT Studio · CC BY 3.0 · Archive portrait

The Global 50 / South Korea

Sora Choi.

South Korean model with sustained international runway, campaign and editorial authority.

Index position
#9 · 89.5 / 100
Focus
Runway · Editorial
Index snapshot
Evidence confidence
Editorial pillars · Medium confidence · evidence reviewed

Quick answer

Who is Sora Choi?

Sora Choi (born 5 September 1992 in Seoul, South Korea) is a South Korean model with sustained international runway, campaign and editorial authority. Sora Choi is ranked #9 on The Cast Index Global 50, with an Index Rating of 89.5 out of 100 in the 5 October 2026 snapshot.

At a glance

How old is Sora Choi?

Sora Choi was born on 5 September 1992 in Seoul, South Korea, which makes Sora 34 as of 5 October 2026.

Born
5 September 1992 (age 34)
Birthplace
Seoul, South Korea
Nationality
South Korea
Disciplines
Runway, Editorial
Cast Index status
#9 · 89.5 / 100
Instagram
@sola5532

Birth date, birthplace and height from Wikidata (Q62128008), retrieved . Agencies from the listed sources. Profile updated .

The perspective

What is Sora Choi known for?

Recognised by Models.com as an Industry Icon.

The published assessment

Where does Sora Choi rank on the Global 50?

Sora Choi is ranked #9 on The Cast Index Global 50, with an Index Rating of 89.5 out of 100 in the 5 October 2026 snapshot.

Each pillar reflects an editorial assessment of the published record. The weighted rating belongs to the snapshot.

Index Rating · Editorial pillars · Medium confidence · evidence reviewed

89.5

How this is calculated ↗
Runway · 40%
88
88 / 100
Campaigns · 30%
91
91 / 100
Editorial · 20%
90
90 / 100
Cultural aura · 10%
90
90 / 100

Rating history

Unchanged overall since · best rank #8.

Sora Choi’s Index Rating by weekly snapshot, 26 Jul to 5 Oct 878889909192 26 Jul24 Aug5 Oct 89.5
View as table
Sora Choi’s weekly Index Rating snapshots
SnapshotIndex RatingRank
89.5#9
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8
89.5#8

Evidence behind the assessment

  • Recognised in the Models.com Industry Icons category.
  • International runway and campaign record spans major fashion markets; detailed 2026 booking audit is in progress.

New work and corrections can change the assessment. A profile’s confidence label describes the depth of its source review.

The runway record

Which shows has Sora Choi walked?

No show-by-show walks for Sora Choi are on the Cast Index ledger yet; the sources above give the career record.

A source-linked selection across seasons, rather than a complete booking history. Open the source for the original record.

A show-by-show record has not yet been added. The source links above provide the available career context.

Career & background

The story so far.

Biography last reviewed .

Early life and discovery

Sora Choi was born on 5 September 1992 in Bucheon, South Korea, and studied modelling at Dongduk Women’s University. She was scouted by chance in high school: while accompanying a friend to a casting, Choi herself was offered the contract instead. She made her first runway appearance at a fashion-college graduation show, and her national breakthrough came in 2012 when she won the third cycle of Korea’s Next Top Model, the same year she landed her first W Korea editorial and cover.

International breakthrough, 2013–2016

Choi’s international career opened with Christopher Raeburn’s Spring 2014 show in September 2013, followed by her official international runway debut at Louis Vuitton’s cruise show in Monaco in May 2014. By spring 2015 she had become the first South Korean model named a Louis Vuitton city exclusive for Paris Fashion Week, personally chosen by Nicolas Ghesquière, and the first Asian model to walk for Calvin Klein that season. In spring 2016 she became the first Asian model to walk Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent show; Vogue described her that year as "one of the most popular faces on the runways" after more than 50 shows in a single Fall season.

Record-setting runway years, 2017–2022

Choi was named to Models.com’s Top 50 in 2017, and in 2019 she walked 89 shows — more than any other model that year. In December 2020 she won Models.com’s Readers’ Choice Model of the Year award, and from 2021 she has been ranked among the platform’s "Industry Icons." In October 2021 she received the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Commendation at Korea’s Popular Culture and Arts Awards, and in October 2022 was named to The Business of Fashion’s BoF 500.

Recent record

In April 2023, Choi closed Louis Vuitton’s first Pre-Fall runway show, staged on Seoul’s Jamsu Bridge, and the following month opened Gucci’s first Cruise show in Asia at Gyeongbokgung Palace. She featured in Victoria’s Secret’s "The Tour ’23" that September. After a break, she returned in 2025 with Dolce & Gabbana’s Steven Meisel–shot Spring/Summer 2025 campaign and closed Prada’s Fall/Winter 2025 show in Milan. As of 2024, her career totalled 537 runway shows and 17 Vogue covers — among the largest bodies of runway work of any working model.

At a glance

Quick facts.

  • Won Korea’s Next Top Model, cycle 3, 2012
  • First South Korean model named a Louis Vuitton city exclusive for Paris Fashion Week, chosen by Nicolas Ghesquière, spring 2015
  • First Asian model to walk for Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent, spring 2016
  • Walked the most runway shows of any model in 2019 — 89 shows that year
  • Models.com Readers’ Choice Model of the Year, December 2020; ranked an "Industry Icon" since 2021
  • As of 2024, 537 career runway shows and 17 Vogue covers

Keep exploring

More faces to know.

Explore South Korea ↗

From the journal

Read the wider story.

All stories ↗

Report ·

What the Global 50 still misses

A “global” ranking should disclose its blind spots. The live roster is broader than the traditional Big Four circuit, but it is not yet evenly representative.

Sora Choi, answered

Who is Sora Choi?

Sora Choi (born 5 September 1992 in Seoul, South Korea) is a South Korean model with sustained international runway, campaign and editorial authority. Sora Choi is ranked #9 on The Cast Index Global 50, with an Index Rating of 89.5 out of 100 in the 5 October 2026 snapshot.

How old is Sora Choi?

Sora Choi was born on 5 September 1992 in Seoul, South Korea, which makes Sora 34 as of 5 October 2026.

What is Sora Choi’s Cast Index status?

Sora Choi is ranked #9 with an editorial rating of 89.5 out of 100 in the 5 October 2026 snapshot. Ratings combine runway, campaign, editorial and cultural evidence under the published methodology.

What is Sora Choi known for?

Recognised by Models.com as an Industry Icon.