Niki Taylor

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Niki Taylor is the daughter of Ken, a highway patrol lieutenant, and Barbara Taylor, a photographer. She spent her childhood in Pembroke Pines and was a student at Cooper City High School. Growing up, she shared her home with an older sister, Joelle, and a younger sister, Krissy, who tragically passed away in 1995.

Taylor’s professional career took off at age 13 after she joined Irene Marie Models in South Florida. This early start led to a pivotal meeting with photographer Jean Renard, who would eventually take on the role of her manager. Her trajectory shifted upward after she won the Fresh Faces competition in New York City, which came with a $500,000 contract. By 14, she had already secured the August 1989 cover of Seventeen. Only a year later, she landed the cover of Vogue at 15 years old—making her the youngest person to feature on the magazine's front since Brooke Shields.