From Biarritz to the World: Noémy's International Rise

GRAZIA - Model: Noémy François - Photographer: Paul Morel - Stylist: Anna Castan

Some modeling careers are plotted out step by step. Noémy's began by the water in Biarritz, in the world of surf and beach culture she grew up inside of… no plan attached. She was twenty-two when Roxy discovered her, and what started as a single local shoot unfolded, in a matter of months, into something far bigger: editorial pages, national beauty campaigns, and a client list that now spans Air France, La Roche-Posay, YSL Beauty, and Hermès Beauty. Today her career reaches across six European markets: France, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and Switzerland. Each one adding its own texture to her book, and each one connected back to a single anchor point: her mother agency here at home, Next Canada.

It's a career that captures something bigger than one model's rise. In an industry where casting calls cross borders before breakfast and a single set can bring together crews from four or five countries, Noémy's path is a working example of how far Canadian representation can travel and how a strong mother agency can turn one discovery on a French beach into a genuinely international career. We spoke with Noémy about that journey, the markets and campaigns that shaped it, and where she's headed next.

Models of Canada: You've built a career that spans multiple international fashion markets. Can you tell us about your journey in modeling and some of the key milestones that have shaped your career?

Noémy: My story really starts in Biarritz. I grew up there, on the coast, surrounded by surf and beach culture, fashion was never something I planned. It kind of found me. I was 22 when Roxy, a surf brand, discovered me, and what began as one local job quickly turned into an international career. Things moved fast. Within a few months I'd gone from e-commerce shoots into editorial and advertising. My first editorial for Grazia in 2023 was a real step, with Madame Figaro and Cote Magazine following soon after, and that same year I booked my first big advertising campaign, for Air France. More recently, my national beauty campaign for La Roche-Posay has been a beautiful moment of my career. Along the way I've fallen in love with beauty work, shooting for brands like YSL Beauty, Makeup Forever, Sephora, Hermes Beauty and Clarins. Today I'm represented across six European markets and with Next Canada guiding everything as my mother agency.

Models of Canada: Your portfolio includes work connected to internationally recognized names such as Louis Vuitton and Grazia Magazine. What have been some of the most significant clients, publications, or creative projects you've worked on, and what did those opportunities mean for your career?

Noémy: Editorially, shooting for Grazia, Madame Figaro and Cote Magazine gave my work a kind of artistic credibility I really value, and I've been lucky to work with photographers like Paul Morel, Joseph Degbadjo and Frederic Monceau. On the commercial side, the Air France campaign meant a lot to me. It's a brand people recognise everywhere, it felt a little surreal ! One relationship I'm especially proud of is with the British brand Joules. I've shot campaign after campaign, plus countless e-commerce projects, with them across several seasons. I also recently filmed a commercial for Levi's with Zalando. Each of these opened a new door and showed me I can move easily between editorial, beauty and commercial work.

Models of Canada: You are represented internationally across several major fashion markets. How has working with agencies in different countries influenced your development as a model and the types of opportunities available to you?

Noémy: Being represented in France, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and Switzerland has shaped me more than anything. Every market has its own personality and its own way of working. France is my base for editorial and luxury beauty. The UK has given me steady campaign work, through my London agency. Germany has been huge for beauty commercials, with brands like Catrice, Schwarzkopf and Geske. Denmark and the wider Scandinavian scene opened up commercial and e-commerce work, including my Levi's project, and Switzerland and Belgium keep adding variety. Bouncing between all of them has taught me to read a new creative team quickly and adjust to whatever a client needs. It's also given me a far more versatile book than I'd ever have if I stayed in one country.

Models of Canada: NEXT Canada has played an important role as your Mother Agent. How has having a Canadian agency guiding your career helped you build relationships with agencies and clients internationally?

Noémy: Having Next Canada as my mother agency has given my career real structure. Instead of trying to figure out every market alone, I've always had a team behind me, helping me make the smart calls, coordinating between my agencies, and protecting my long-term interests. A mother agent sees the bigger picture. They know which markets and clients are right for me at each stage, and they open doors I couldn't open on my own. That guidance is a big part of how I've built trusted relationships across Europe. Knowing there's a consistent hand steering things lets me focus on the work and grow with confidence.

Models of Canada: The modeling industry has become increasingly global, with models, agencies, photographers, and brands collaborating across borders. How have you experienced this globalization firsthand throughout your career?

Noémy: Globalization is just part of my everyday now. I'm a French model who gets booked for a British brand through a London agency, shoots beauty commercials for German clients, and does e-commerce for Swiss and Belgian ones, often with crews made up of people from four or five different countries on a single set. So much happens digitally too, with castings, bookings and approvals all across borders. Brands want faces that can travel and slot into any team, anywhere. The industry doesn't really stop at national lines anymore, and moving through it that way has come to feel completely natural to me.

Models of Canada: From your perspective, what role can Canadian Mother Agencies and platforms such as Models of Canada play in identifying Canadian talent and connecting models with international agencies, clients, and opportunities?

Noémy: From what I've lived, Canadian mother agencies and platforms like Models of Canada play a really important connecting role. They're often the first to spot and develop talent, and then to place that talent with the right agencies and clients around the world. A strong mother agency is basically a bridge. It gives a model credibility, guidance, and access to a global network they could never build alone. In my own case, having Canadian representation helped position me across several international markets. I think agencies and platforms like these are essential. They help talent reach clients and opportunities far beyond home, and they make sure that talent is properly guided and protected while it grows.

Models of Canada: Your career has taken you into major fashion markets across Europe. How important is it for a model today to be adaptable and able to work professionally across different countries, cultures, agencies, and creative teams?

Noémy: Adaptability might be the single most important quality for a model today. Every country has its own working culture, its own rhythm on set, and its own expectations, and you can move between languages and creative teams in the same week. Being professional, easy to be around and quick to adjust is exactly what earns you rebookings. My long relationship with some brands grew out of being reliable and adaptable, shoot after shoot. In a global industry, the models who last are the ones who can walk onto any set, in any country, and instantly feel like part of the team. That flexibility has been at the centre of everything I've built.

Models of Canada: Looking ahead, what are your professional goals for the next stage of your international modeling career, and what types of brands, publications, campaigns, or markets would you like to continue working toward?

Noémy: Looking ahead, my main goal is to establish myself in the US with Ford, while keeping the international career I've built in Europe growing. I'd love to go deeper into beauty and luxury, which is where I feel most like myself, and to take on more advertising campaigns with brands people know worldwide. Editorially, I'm working toward magazine covers and bigger editorial projects. And I want to keep nurturing long-term client relationships, because I really believe consistency and trust are what build a career that lasts. Ultimately, I want to be a genuinely international model who can move between markets and deliver at the highest level, whether it's editorial, beauty or campaign work.

Written by: Models of Canada

See more of Noémy at NextModels.ca