Remember Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman? She Just Signed An IMG Models Contract!

Talk about starting the year off on the right foot. 

After a string of early 2021 successes, Amanda Gorman has signed a modeling contract!

And if hers is a name you're not yet familiar with, here's everything you need to know about her and why she's becoming a big deal in fashion and way beyond—and rightly so. 

First and foremost, Amanda Gorman became the inaugural poet, and the youngest one in history at that. 

The Harvard graduate recited a beautiful original piece, "The Hill We Climb," as part of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' swearing in ceremony and millions were blown away by her talent, presence, and yes, her beauty. Stringing the right words together and speaking them confidently, Amanda delivered a message of unity amid brokenness, togetherness amidst division. 

Her performance was so empowering that she received way more attention than the big ticket artists who performed on that day—including Garth Brooks, Jennifer Lopez, and Lady Gaga—so much so that her brief appearance has resulted in quite the number of surprises. 

Not even two weeks after her Capitol Hill debut, and all within two days or so, Amanda Gorman was shocked by the most unexpected offers.

Penguin Random House, one of America's biggest publishing houses, approached the 22-year-old writer with something she couldn't refuse. They told her that they would publish one million copies of three of her works, all of which have since made it to the top of reading lists since the announcement. (Filipino readers can get a hold her books via Amazon once they're out). 

Her books to be published include The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country out in March, The Hill We Climb and Other Poems out in September, and Change Sings: A Children's Anthem, a picture book due to come out in late 2021. 

Asked why they decided to do offer her such a life-changing deal, Penguin Random House CEO Madeline McIntosh projected that Amanda Gorman would be a "cultural force" for a long time, citing power she's able to wield over her audience at such a young age and so early on in her career. 

Next to her publishing deal is an extra special gig scheduled just a few days from now.

It was announced that Amanda Gorman was chosen to perform at the opening of the Super Bowl, marking the first time in history that the massive sporting event will feature a poet. Unlike the presidential inauguration, however, she won't be performing live due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, her pre-recorded recitation will be aired during the pre-game ceremony.

And then of course, there's the matter of the young artist on the rise getting a nod from fashion.

Amanda Gorman has signed a modeling contract with IMG Models, the international agency that has sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid on its roster. (Interestingly, VP Kamala Harris' step-daughter Ella Emhoff was signed by the agency, too, right after Amanda). 

But her fresh modeling contract isn't her first brush with fashion, at least on a personal level.

The poet has talked about her love of fashion many times before and how her style is reflective of who she is a person and the courage that so often guides her words. She's a fan of big and bright, bold and unapologetic. (It definitely explains her choice of color scheme during the inauguration—yellow and red, a difficult combo to pull off, and both in Prada). 

Her colorful choices in clothes also speak of her upbringing. Raised by a single mother who encouraged her to find her own identity and had an affinity with fashion from decades past, she's a big fan of vintage styles made contemporary (70s hippies-inspired looks and regal dresses and chunky knitwear are at the top of her list).  

All of this has come to Amanda with just one month in in 2021. 

There is also the matter of Amanda Gorman's growing fandom that includes high-profile supporters like Oprah Winfrey, the Obamas, Hilary Clinton, Lin Manuel Miranda, Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Jones, and many more—the cherry on the cake! 

And with Amanda's luck this year, something tells us that there will be more cherries, and way more cakes to come. 

Photos from @amandascgorman