Haitian fashion designer Jovana Louis has announced an open casting call for professional Haitian female models ahead of her upcoming New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show.
The move marks another milestone in the growing global visibility of Haitian fashion and creative talent.
The casting will take place on Feb 6, 2026, in New York City, and is exclusively open to professional models of Haitian heritage. Louis, who is known on social media as @jovanalouis and @jovana_benoit, has built a reputation for designs that blend contemporary fashion with cultural identity and craftsmanship.
Interested models are required to submit digitals or polaroids — preferably with no makeup — along with their height, measurements, and contact information. Applications should be sent to info@jovanalouis.com, with selected candidates to be contacted directly by the designer’s team.
Industry observers say the casting reflects a broader push within global fashion to create space for underrepresented identities, particularly as designers of African and Caribbean descent increasingly use major platforms such as New York Fashion Week to spotlight heritage, diversity, and self-representation.
Louis’s decision to cast Haitian models exclusively is being widely welcomed online as both a professional opportunity and a cultural statement, reinforcing fashion’s role as a vehicle for storytelling and diaspora pride on an international stage.
New York Fashion Week remains one of the world’s most influential fashion events, drawing global media attention, buyers, and creatives.
