Slioor was trained in a local modeling school in Finland, and then founded the Helsinki School for Models in 1951. The following year, she continued her training at the Ecole Parisienne de Mannequins modeling school in Paris, and became the first Finn to earn a top diploma in modeling. To get more currency for her trip to Paris, Slioor needed a special permission from the Bank of Finland, where she met and befriended Urho Kekkonen, who later became arguably the most powerful and significant President of Finland. The nature of their relationship has been a subject of speculation for decades.