Models may have a reputation for being self-involved and shallow, but these five beauties smash that stereotype to bits.

They don’t just go to charity dinners; they've created organizations and advocacy campaigns to make the world a more beautiful place.

Instead of runway shows, they plant trees in South Africa. Instead of photo shoots, they work to formulate cleaner, chemical-free skin-care products.

Here are our picks for the top five models with a mission.

 

CHRISTY TURLINGTON BURNS

 

Turlington Burns, one of the world's most famous supermodels, has long been an advocate for public health, throwing her support behind anti-smoking campaigns and efforts to bring yoga to the masses.

But she found her real cause in maternal health. She directed and debuted her own documentary on maternal mortality rates around the world, No Woman, No Cry, in 2010, and then founded the organization Every Mother Counts to call more attention to the issue.

Once she finishes her Master’s in Public Health at Columbia University, she’ll be an unstoppable force for change.

 

ANNE-MARIE VAN DIJK

 

Van Dijk became a model at 14, and realized very quickly that the profession came with brutal, unhealthy demands.

So, she founded Cleanse, a company that helps young models manage those pressures by creating personalized health plans for them that include sessions with nutritionists, psychologists, and personal trainers.

Van Dijk partners with lifestyle companies that help steer models away from common job hazards like drugs and dieting and towards yoga, balanced nutrition, and holistic therapies.

 

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YOGI CAMERON

 

Cameron Alborzian, who now goes by “Yogi Cameron,” has modeled for Versace and Guess—and he starred in Madonna’s “Express Yourself” music video.

These days, his pursuits are more holistic. Cameron is now a yoga instructor and an Ayurvedic healer who travels the world helping people lead healthier lives—he even brought yoga to soldiers in Afghanistan.

His first book on self-healing, The Guru in You, was published in 2011, and his TV series, Yogi Cameron: A Model Guru (where he’ll help everyday people solve health issues on-screen), debuted on Veria Living this week.

(Photo: Vogue.it)

 

MIRANDA KERR



Kerr rose to the top of the modeling world as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, and on the runways of Balenciaga and Roberto Cavalli, to name a few.

But in her downtime, Mrs. Orlando Bloom is a yoga and meditation buff who advocates for healthy living, and cleaner product choices.

A few years ago, Kerr founded Kora Organics, an all-natural and organic skin-care line that's since become a cult favorite in the U.S.

Kora Organics’ products allow women to slather their skin with antioxidant-rich fruit extracts and nourishing oils, instead of ten-syllable chemicals.

 

ANTHONY ANDERSON

 



Anderson, who has modeled for companies like Macy’s and Tommy Hilfiger, started a blog, Raw Model, in 2007, to promote the benefits of a raw food lifestyle.

Since then, he’s found an even larger cause.

In 2011, Anderson created Grow Paradise, an organization that teaches communities and individuals how to grow their own food, from large-scale "food forests” in South Africa to balcony gardens in New York City.

When he's not sharing the techniques, he's spreading the message that growing local food is good for people and the planet.

 

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