Meet the Rising Mexican-American Model Who Just Walked for Dior
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Historically, high-fashion runways have hardly been a space to find substantial Indigenous representation—though that’s changing now. A new crop of Native models—from North America, Mexico, and beyond—are taking over fashion month, including Quannah Chasinghorse, Valentine Alvarez, Cherokee Jack, and Heather Diamond Strongarm. Joining the crew is Mexican-American model Celeste Romero, who this weekend walked for the Dior resort 2024 show in Mexico City.
Romero’s career began in her hometown of Los Angeles; the model was discovered by her mother agent while casually shopping in Santa Monica. “I was browsing the Nike store with some friends and had just gotten back from the beach, when someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to model,” says Romero. “This was back in the summer of 2018—I had just graduated from high school.” She was signed to the Margaux modeling agency, who Romero is still with today, shortly after (she’s also signed with Fusion Models in New York).
It hasn’t taken long for Romero’s career to accelerate. One of her first jobs was working with the photographer Zoe Ghertner. “I did an editorial [for Self Service magazine] with her and Camilla Nickerson back in 2019, they both really helped push me into the industry,” says Romero. Her biggest mainstream break came in 2021, when Romero landed a major fashion campaign for Chloé. “It was such a fun and exciting job that opened so many doors for me,” says Romero.
During the fall 2023 shows, she made an impression on the runways for labels such as Gabriela Hearst, Molly Goddard, and Chloé. “I definitely love walking the Chloé shows. That feels like home at this point,” says Romero. “I know everyone involved in the production, and the models have become my friends.” A recent favorite was hitting the catwalk at the Fear of God show at the Hollywood Bowl. “That was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had so far,” says Romero. “It was so great to be home and walk through a space I know so well in such a different context.”
Her most recent show was the Dior resort 2024 presentation in Mexico City, held this past Saturday. “I’ve always wanted to go and work in Mexico, so having this be my debut there is such an incredible experience,” says Romero. “When my mom found out I was confirmed to walk in the show, she felt like she manifested it—because of our Mexican heritage, and because the first perfume she ever bought was Dior.” Given the collection itself paid homage to Mexican culture, the clothes she modeled held a special significance to Romero. “The collection was stunning and showed a lot of gratitude towards Mexican culture, and the designer really took time to do her research to capture the authenticity of the country,” says Romero.
What’s next for the rising model, after such a breakout season? She plans on continuing this momentum by, hopefully, continuing to walk for major fashion houses. “I love this job, because I don t ever know what s next for me. I just like going with the flow,” says Romero. She agrees she’s off to a strong start, though. “These past couple years have been the craziest years of my life—so many different trips and destinations. I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Below, see an inside look at Romero’s catwalk experience walking for Dior.
Photo: Courtesy of Celeste Romero1/135 a.m. flight to Mexico City for the Dior resort 2024 show. This was my first time going to Mexico City and walking in a Dior show, so it was a very exciting time!
Photo: Courtesy of Celeste Romero2/13In the air! I couldn’t believe I was actually on my way to walk in a Dior show. I had to pinch myself, it didn’t seem real.
