Kathmandu, Jan. 12 -- Varsha Thapa sits in the courtyard of the Maya Manor Boutique Hotel in Hattisar, her legs crossed. I am late and she has been waiting. When she gets up to say hello, she towers over me, long-limbed and lithe. At 5 feet 10 inches, with long flowing hair, she is striking. No wonder then that she is perhaps the most internationally successful Nepali model yet.

She started her career in 2011 and in just nine years, Thapa has established the kind of resume that most models only dream about. She's done Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, Lakme Fashion Week; she's been featured in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper's Bazaar; and her clients include Dolce & Gabbana, Nike, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Bottega Veneta, Mugler and ...