Thylane Blondeau was only four when the fashion world began taking notice of her, but the path that followed became far bigger than childhood modeling. The French star worked with major names including Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Hugo Boss, while appearing in Vogue before she reached her tenth birthday. She later became widely known after being named the “most beautiful girl in the world” on TC Candler’s annual list, a label that followed her for years. Yet Thylane has explained that she never truly connected with the description, saying that as a child she simply saw herself as a normal kid rather than someone deserving such a grand title. Now 25, with a reported net worth of $4.2 million, she has moved beyond the runway and built a career around business as well as fashion.

Her latest venture reflects a surprisingly personal reason for changing direction. After years of styling and modeling work left her hair damaged, Thylane founded haircare brand ENALYHT, which quickly attracted attention and reportedly sold more than 48,000 products during its first year. She had previously launched clothing label Heaven May in 2018, showing that entrepreneurship had become an important part of her life. Despite the constant attention surrounding her appearance, Thylane has also pushed back against repeated speculation about cosmetic procedures. After someone questioned what she had done to her lips, she said she was tired of people assuming she had undergone treatments, explaining that makeup and lip liner can change how someone looks without meaning they have had work done. Her journey from a child model to a successful entrepreneur has given her a very different identity from the one the public first assigned to her. Today, Thylane appears determined to be recognized for what she creates rather than simply for a title she never felt represented who she was.