Before she turned 5, she was already walking designer runways. A few years later, one photoshoot sparked headlines far beyond the fashion world. Now in her 20s, she’s still being talked about.
She became internationally recognized before she reached double digit age, as a single photoshoot placed her at the center of global attention. The daughter of two public figures, she began appearing on runways as a toddler, with a career that was already taking shape by the time most children started school.
In the years that followed, her name remained in circulation across fashion campaigns, online platforms, and headlines that traced her life from childhood to adulthood. Almost two decades later, her appearance is still a topic of discussion, but it’s not the only part of her story that has kept people watching.
Starting a Career Before Kindergarten
She was born into a family already used to the spotlight. Her mother worked as a French television presenter and fashion designer. Her father was a professional footballer who played at the top level. Fame wasn’t new to the household, but their daughter’s would come in a very different form.
At just 3 years old, she was spotted by Jean Paul Gaultier, one of France’s most influential designers. A year later, she was walking his runway. That single booking marked the beginning of a modeling career that would move quickly, far beyond what most children or even adults might expect.
Before she’d learned multiplication or how to write a full sentence, she was being photographed, followed, and ranked. By the time she was 6, her photo had made its way around the world. She topped TC Candler’s annual list of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces, a ranking that drew headlines of its own.
Almost overnight, she became known globally for her appearance, long before most knew her name. The next milestone would bring even more attention and the first signs of controversy.
The Editorial That Changed the Conversation
Her early modeling success kept building. At 10 years old, she appeared in a high-fashion editorial for Vogue Paris. The spread featured her wearing adult-style clothing, including stilettos, and heavy makeup. The shoot was part of the magazine’s Enfant edition, edited at the time by designer Tom Ford.
What might have passed as a fashion-forward moment quickly became something else entirely. The photos drew strong reactions, not just from fashion insiders, but from parenting groups, child advocacy organizations, and even government officials abroad.
Critics argued that the styling and poses were inappropriate for a child and accused the publication of contributing to the sexualization of young girls. In the United Kingdom, the reaction was swift.
The then–Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Mothers’ Union responded by launching a campaign focused on limiting the sexualization of children in media and advertising.
Retailers that marketed high heels to young girls came under fire, and online parenting communities like Mumsnet called for boycotts. One campaign, “Let Girls Be Girls,” urged stores to stop selling products that mimicked adult sexuality. The broader conversation stretched beyond clothing.
Advocates like Anna van Heeswijk from the group Object spoke out against the images, warning that objectifying girls at such a young age could normalize harmful views of women. Clinical psychologist Dr. Emma Gray cautioned that children placed in adult roles too early might struggle with development later on.
The backlash had personal consequences as well. Amid the growing attention, the young model’s mother shut down her daughter’s Facebook fan page. Though she remained active in the industry, the tone surrounding her public image had shifted.
Moving Forward, Camera Still Rolling
Despite the debate that followed her early work, her modeling career didn’t slow down. In the years that followed, she became a familiar face in the fashion world, building a résumé that included major campaigns, magazine features, and red carpet appearances.
She continued working through her teens, gaining attention not just for her looks, but also for how she handled the spotlight. On her 16th birthday, she became an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris. That same year, she walked in shows for Dolce & Gabbana and appeared in Love, L’Officiel, and other leading fashion magazines.
She also became a regular guest at the Cannes Film Festival, photographed alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. By 17, she had developed a public voice to match her image. In an interview that year, she described her experience of being called “the most beautiful girl in the world” as something she didn’t fully grasp as a child.
“When you’re small, you don’t really pay attention… I’m not, I’m just playing with my iPad,” she said. Even as a teenager, she downplayed the label, saying, “I’m just a human being, a teenager.” As her platform grew, she became more open about the pressures that came with it.
She pushed back against expectations around body image in the modeling world, saying she refused to starve herself to fit into shows that demanded a thinner frame. “If I want to eat, I can eat,” she said. “I eat burgers. I’m not going to change this ever.”
Though still a teenager at the time, she seemed confident in her choices and direction. “It’s really not difficult [growing up in the spotlight],” she stated. “If you’re surrounded by good people, your life is going to be great.” And while modeling kept her busy, she was also preparing for something of her own, outside the runway.
From Model to Brand Owner
At 17, she announced a new step in her career: the launch of her own fashion label. The brand was called Haven May, and its early teasers revealed a youthful, street-inspired aesthetic. Pieces ranged from sweats and baseball caps to skirts with metallic stripes, stars, and lightning bolt accents.
She modeled many of the items herself, offering a first look at the collection through her Instagram account. Though still new to design, she approached it with familiarity. In a 2024 interview, she explained that fashion had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember.
“I started working as a model at the age of 3. I really looked into the subject when I was 6, and I’ve been fascinated ever since,” she shared. Her personal style, she explained, leaned toward comfort and streetwear. She credited her frequent work trips for influencing her creative direction.
“Each city I visit is a source in the creation of my looks,” she said. The brand’s early releases reflected that approach—playful, travel-inspired, and designed with wearability in mind. It was a quiet but notable shift: after years of wearing other designers’ visions, she was shaping her own.
A Health Scare She Chose to Share
In 2021, she spoke publicly about a health issue that had affected her for more than a year. The first signs appeared in 2020, when she began experiencing severe abdominal pain. Doctors initially believed the discomfort was linked to a previous surgery for an ovarian cyst that had ruptured in her stomach.
But as the pain continued, she sought additional opinions. Over the following months, she saw three different gynecologists and visited more than four radiology centers across Paris. Each told her the same thing—that there was nothing seriously wrong. “Don’t worry, you have nothing, it’s all in your head,” she recalled being told.
Still in pain, she visited the emergency room again in 2021. This time, a scan revealed a cyst over five centimeters in size, touching her ovary. She was taken into surgery that same day. Afterward, she posted about the experience on Instagram, along with photos from her hospital stay.
“Today I’m finally feeling better,” she wrote. “I really thought I was crazy for complaining about my stomach for so long.” In her posts, she encouraged her followers to trust their instincts and seek further opinions if they felt something was wrong.
“When your body hurts, don’t let it slide[…] see different doctors until some of them find the problem and heals it,” she wrote. “Any pain, even the little ones, can hide something way more important.”
She also thanked the people who had supported her during the ordeal—her doctor, her mother, who traveled from the south of France to be with her, and her boyfriend, who had been with her since the pain first began.
Still Recognized, Still Watched
Her name is Thylane Blondeau. She first gained international recognition in 2007, when she was just 6 years old and topped TC Candler’s list of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces. Years later, in 2018, she appeared on the same list again, this time as a young adult.
Today, in her mid-20s, she continues to draw attention, both for her appearance and for the career she has maintained since childhood. Blondeau now has 6.9 million followers on Instagram. Her feed features fashion content, brand collaborations, and personal moments, including health updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her life.
Over the years, followers have continued to comment on her transformation. On one early photo, a user asked, “What happened to the blue eyes?” Another called her a “beautiful child,” while another wrote simply, “Born to be a model.”
She has remained active in modeling and fashion. In past interviews, she said she had no strict plan for the future—only that she wanted to continue doing what she enjoyed. “If I still want to be a model, I [will] model, and [do] acting. But I want to be happy first,” she said.
From a runway debut at age 4 to walking red carpets and launching her own clothing line, her career has been steady, even under the pressure of public attention. Unlike many child stars whose fame fades, Blondeau remains both visible and relevant, nearly 20 years after her first appearance in front of a camera.
