Beautiful People 2010: Hanne Gaby Odiele

A 17-year-old Hanne Gaby Odiele was minding her own business at a music festival in her native Kortrijk, Belgium, when she was approached by a man asking if she was interested in being a model. A golden opportunity or a classic pick-up line? "I didn't really trust it," she remembers and adds with a smile, "but now I'm here."

It was actually only a matter of weeks before Odiele was in New York City doing runway shows. Five years later -- several lifetimes in the modeling world -- Odiele has transformed from a wide-eyed and awkward elfin into a cool and confident runway fixture, walking in shows like Rodarte, Calvin Klein, Prada, Dries Van Noten and Marc Jacobs, as well as appearing in campaigns for such fancy-pants labels as Alberta Ferretti, Missoni and Balenciaga. Even after so long in the business, there are still "OMG" moments for Odiele. "I was doing a fitting for the Valentino show at Place Vendome, which is also where the after-party was, and it was this sick old building in Paris -- and I'm just from a small village!"

Despite her small-town roots, Odiele is most at home in New York City, where she goes about her business as a normal, cute 22-yearold. "I have my apartment, my friends and my boyfriend. We go to bars, watch concerts -- yeah, I'm just being twenty-two."

Hanne wears a dress by Dianne Von Furstenberg and sunglasses by Diane Von Furstenberg Eyewear

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