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Models by country and fashion week

Rwandan models at New York Fashion Week

As of 22 October 2026, 9 Rwandan models have walked at least one show in New York since 2002. 4 of them have walked ten or more there. Ornella Umutoni leads with 20 New York shows across 7 seasons.

Share figures use the 4,338 of 5,338 models on record in New York since 2002 whose nationality is on record.

Updated 22 October 2026 · Public runway records since 2002 · Methodology

Models on record 9
Ten or more shows in New York 4
Cast in Fall/Winter 2026 4
Cast in Spring/Summer 2027, latest season 2
First season on record FW16
Latest season on record SS27

Most cast Rwandan models at New York Fashion Week

Ranked by shows walked in New York since 2002, one credit per show. Ties keep alphabetical order. How shows are counted

9 models on record in New York.

Most cast Rwandan models at New York Fashion Week, ranks 1 to 9, by shows in New York since 2002
Rank Model Shows in New York Seasons New York span Houses in New York
1 Ornella Umutoni 20 7 SS24 to FW26 Khaite , TWP , Thom Browne
2 Denyse Tumukunde 18 6 FW23 to FW26 Ulla Johnson , Brandon Maxwell , Monse
3 Amelie Nsengiyumva 14 6 SS24 to SS27 TWP , Diotima , Area
4 Esther Niyirera 13 2 FW26 to SS27 Prabal Gurung , Sandy Liang , Thom Browne
5 Anipha Umufite 9 4 SS24 to SS25 Ulla Johnson , Dior , Hermès
6 Adele Ruboneka 8 5 FW22 to SS25 Brandon Maxwell , Tommy Hilfiger , Prabal Gurung
7 Metta Irebe 6 2 SS22 to FW22 Khaite , Carolina Herrera , Coach
8 Christie Munezero 2 2 SS24 to SS25 Ulla Johnson , Theophilio
9 Vera Munyangaju 2 1 FW16 Zac Posen , Karen Walker

Seasons count every season label in New York, Resort and Pre-Fall included.

Rwandan models at New York Fashion Week, season by season

  •   FW21
  • 1 SS22
  • 2 FW22
  • 1 SS23
  • 2 FW23
  • 6 SS24
  • 4 FW24
  • 5 SS25
  • 2 FW25
  • 3 SS26
  • 4 FW26
  • 2 SS27

Distinct Rwandan models with at least one show in New York that season, every category. Oxblood marks the highest season; a hairline marks a season with none on record. Resort and Pre-Fall rows are not counted.

Share of New York runway appearances

Rwandan models took 0.67% of New York runway appearances in Spring/Summer 2027, the latest season on record, from 0.06% in 2016.

Show the figures as a table
Year Rwandan Share With nationality Appearances
2008 Not on record Not on record 780 834
2009 Not on record Not on record 957 1,037
2010 Not on record Not on record 437 454
2011 Not on record Not on record 233 244
2012 Not on record Not on record 1,359 1,397
2013 Not on record Not on record 1,710 1,809
2014 Not on record Not on record 2,574 2,821
2015 Not on record Not on record 2,619 2,920
2016 2 0.06% 3,221 3,773
2017 Not on record Not on record 3,392 3,991
2018 Not on record Not on record 3,530 4,062
2019 Not on record Not on record 3,771 4,315
2020 Not on record Not on record 3,930 4,374
2021 Not on record Not on record 193 223
2022 7 0.31% 2,259 2,518
2023 5 0.16% 3,220 3,628
2024 23 0.69% 3,322 3,697
2025 15 0.53% 2,846 3,127
2026 29 0.95% 3,046 3,300
2027 (SS27 only) 11 0.67% 1,647 1,774

Source: Tectova runway database · N = 1,647 New York appearances with a nationality on record in SS27, of 1,774 · read 22 October 2026

One appearance per model per show in New York, every category, by season year. Share = Rwandan appearances divided by appearances whose model has a nationality on record. From 2008, the first year with 500 or more New York appearances on record.

Rwandan models new to New York Fashion Week

Rwandan models whose first New York season is Spring/Summer 2026 to Spring/Summer 2027, ranked by New York shows since that debut. Definition

Rwandan models whose first New York season is Spring/Summer 2026 to Spring/Summer 2027
Rank Model Shows since debut First New York season First Big Four season Houses in New York
1 Esther Niyirera 13 Fall/Winter 2026 Spring/Summer 2025 Prabal Gurung , Sandy Liang , Thom Browne

A debut here means the first New York season this record can see. The next column shows whether the model had already walked another Big Four city.

Houses in New York that have cast Rwandan models

  • Ulla Johnson 7 documented appearances · 4 models
  • TWP 7 documented appearances · 3 models
  • Area 6 documented appearances · 5 models
  • Diotima 5 documented appearances · 3 models
  • Khaite 5 documented appearances · 2 models
  • Prabal Gurung 4 documented appearances · 3 models
  • Brandon Maxwell 4 documented appearances · 2 models
  • Monse 3 documented appearances · 2 models

Every show in New York since 2002.

Casting directors in New York who cast the most Rwandan models since 2025

Shows in New York since 2025 with a casting credit on record. Roughly six in ten cast-bearing shows carry one, so this is a partial view.

Questions this page answers

Who is the most cast Rwandan model at New York Fashion Week?

Ornella Umutoni, with 20 shows in New York on public record since 2002, across 7 seasons, as of 22 October 2026.

How many Rwandan models walked New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027?

2 Rwandan models have a show on record in New York for Spring/Summer 2027, as of 22 October 2026. The week closed on 15 September 2026 and casts are still being added. 4 walked in Fall/Winter 2026.

Counts are runway shows walked in New York on public record since 2002, one credit per show, every category. Nationality is as recorded; dual nationals appear on both country pages. Updated 22 October 2026. Full methodology.

Cite as: Tectova, “Rwandan models at New York Fashion Week”, 22 October 2026, tectova.com/talent/from/rwanda/new-york.

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