Niki Taylor was once the face every American girl knew. At 14 she landed her first magazine cover on Seventeen, and a year later she appeared on the cover of Vogue, becoming the second youngest person ever to do so. Today, the girl from Florida is 51, and her life looks very different from the flashing cameras of the ’90s.
Her rise was astonishing. She was accepted by a Florida modeling agency at 13, won a Fresh Faces contest in New York, and took home a $500,000 modeling contract. In 1991 she was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People, and she became the youngest model to sign a major cosmetics deal with L’Oréal for Cover Girl. Vogue, ELLE, Allure and Sports Illustrated all followed.
Behind the glamour, there was heartbreak. In July 1995, her younger sister Krissy, also a promising model, died at just 17. Niki has spoken openly about the loss over the years, and it shaped how she views life and family.
Today, Niki lives in Nashville with her husband, Burney Lamar, whom she married in 2006. She has four children. Speaking to People this spring, she explained that she now prefers a slower pace. She said she has always been a bit of a loner, and that she was away from her sons Jake and Hunter more than she wanted to be during her busiest years, while with Ciel and Rex she has found a much better balance between family and work.
Her career never truly stopped, it simply changed speed. In early 2026, she starred in a new campaign for de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry, with black-and-white photos that had fans praising her timeless beauty. She has also appeared in Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You” music video. Now she works on her own terms, choosing projects that fit her family life.
And how does she look now? Still stunning. Tall at 5 ft 11 in, with her signature golden blonde hair and hazel eyes, Niki has aged with grace. After her latest photos, fans called her “forever gorgeous,” and one commenter wrote, “Once a supermodel always a supermodel.” Her look today is polished but natural, warm, and unmistakably Niki.
Fame gave her the world, but it seems the quiet life is what she treasures most. At 51, Niki Taylor has proven that a supermodel’s story doesn’t end when the runway lights go down.
