Hanli Hoefer, 19, a Singaporean, landed a contract with modelling agency Ave Management two months ago. Ave Management also represents Charmaine Harn, Coco Rocha and Tara Rushton.

Hanli, who is 1.74m tall, has also made it to the cover of this month's Her World - a coup for models who are starting out.

What's remarkable about her achievements is that she did all that without the help of her parents or their connections.

Mum Cynthia Wee-Hoefer, a Peranakan, 60, used to be a writer with Her World.

Dad is the celebrated German photographer Hans Hoefer, 68, famed for his international travel photography.

Mrs Wee-Hoefer is also tight with local entertainer Dick Lee and his family.

Hanli said that Lee had previously offered to pave her way into the entertainment industry, but the United World College graduate, who majored in art and psychology, chose to go at it on her own.

Hanli, who was born and brought up in Singapore, told The New Paper: "My dad could have introduced me to all the important people in the modelling world as he works a lot in Europe too.

"My mum also has many contacts in the local beauty industry, but I wanted to do this myself."

Read the full story here.

Click on the thumbnails below for more photos of her.