Tis the season to take stock so here comes another ranking, this time from the fashion industry. German model Anna Ewers has been revealed as the models.com female ‘Model of the Year’ for 2015, confirming her stratospheric rise to the top of the fashion world. Ok so we had our money on Gigi Hadid but surprises make for better news anyway.

Ewers was voted number one by a panel of 250 industry experts including designers, stylists and editors, and beat a short list of models including Karlie Kloss, Jourdan Dunn and Kendall Jenner to the top spot. By the way, a certain Zoolander also made the cut in another category…

Each category includes an industry winner and a second star voted for by the general public, with the reader’s vote title for female model of the year going to US star Gigi Hadid. At Luxuo we feel vindicated by this vote…

Ewers first came to the industry’s attention almost three years ago, following Autumn/Winter 2013 runway shows for Balenciaga, Stella McCartney and Louis Vuitton. A few months later, she had graduated to resort campaigns for Alexander Wang and in the summer of 2013, landed the cover of Vogue Brazil’s Miami supplement. She walked for several big brands in the Spring/Summer 2014 shows and was cast in the Prada Resort 2014 campaign.

2015 has been a pivotal year for the model, who kicked things off with an appearance in Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2015 show in January. February saw her put on the cover of Vogue Paris, moving on to the front page of Vogue Germany in March. Spring/Summer ad campaigns included Moschino, Mango and Marc Jacobs, with a further cover for Vogue UK, which came in July.

Ewers walked for Atelier Versace and Chanel in the Fall 2015 Haute Couture shows, landed simultaneous Vogue covers in Paris and China in August and was cast in H&M’s Fall 2015 campaign. In October, she took to the catwalks once again for the Spring/Summer 16 shows by Boss, Marc Jacobs, Versace and Chanel, amongst others.

Lucky Blue Smith was named as the male model of the year, while Derek Zoolander won ‘Comeback of the Year’ following an appearance at Paris Fashion Week for Valentino. For a full list of winners, see models.com