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June 4, 2025 1:02 pm | Leave your thoughts
18 South Sudanese Models You Didnt Know in the Fashion Industry FPN
Her return to fashion marked a new https://dnagamers.com/ chapter in her career, where she now walks runways and participates in more culturally inclusive campaigns. Off the runway, she maintains a quiet presence but continues to climb the industry ranks with consistency and grace. Born in Cairo after her family fled the Sudanese genocide and then moving to the US in 2000, Anok Yai, the second Black supermodel after Naomi Campbell to open a Prada show, was discovered at a university party.
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Recently, fighting between government and opposition forces has escalated – sparking https://sblouin.com/ fears the country will return to civil war. There were high hopes for the world’s newest nation, but just two years later a civil war erupted, during which 400,000 people were killed and 2.5 million fled their homes for places like Uganda. Goi was born in Juba but as a child she moved to neighbouring Uganda, like Akol and hundreds of thousands of other South Sudanese. “They have the perfect, dark skin. They have the melanin. They have the height,” Deng continues. “The expectation of what a model should be – most of the South Sudanese models have it,” says Dawson Deng, who runs South Sudan Fashion Week in the country’s capital, Juba, with fellow ex-model Trisha Nyachak.
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- Three years later, while living in Uganda, she was eventually scouted by a more reputable agency.
- Their contributions continue to reshape the industry and inspire the next generation of African girls who dream of a future in fashion.
- With a calm, statuesque presence, Nyagua brings a grounded energy to every look she wears.
- She won Miss Earth South Sudan in 2009 and has since transitioned into high fashion modeling.
Alek’s presence in the fashion industry shifted the global perception of beauty. Her signature look is defined by her clean-shaven head and high cheekbones, giving her a commanding presence on the runway. Adut Akech was born in South Sudan but raised in a Kenyan refugee camp before migrating to Australia as a child.
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Some families didn’t understand modelling and “liken walking in front of people to prostitution,” said Dawson Deng, who runs South Sudan Fashion Week. Escaping the Civil War in Sudan to Britain in 1991, Alek Wek broke into the fashion industry four years later at the age of 18. With legs that run forever, skin tone that glistens under the sun, and a bone structure sharper than the world has ever seen, South Sudanese women are, in recent times, some of the most sought-after models in the industry. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, external, on Facebook at BBC Africa, external or on Instagram at bbcafrica, external He is “proud” to see this model – and others from South Sudan – on the global stage and although the industry cycles through trends, Deng does not believe South Sudanese models will go out of fashion.
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With a calm, statuesque presence, Nyagua brings a grounded energy to every look she wears. She’s featured in runway shows and print editorials for up-and-coming designers. Ajak briefly left the industry, citing racism and the emotional toll of being underrepresented. Nykhor made headlines when she publicly called out makeup artists in the industry for being unprepared to work with darker skin tones. Beyond modeling, Alek is a published author and humanitarian, working closely with the UN to support refugees.
Alek Wek
- Nyakim has been featured in makeup and skincare ads, runways, and fashion campaigns that celebrate melanin.
- With legs that run forever, skin tone that glistens under the sun, and a bone structure sharper than the world has ever seen, South Sudanese women are, in recent times, some of the most sought-after models in the industry.
- Born in Cairo after her family fled the Sudanese genocide and then moving to the US in 2000, Anok Yai, the second Black supermodel after Naomi Campbell to open a Prada show, was discovered at a university party.
- These 18 South Sudanese models represent more than just South Sudan’s modeling talents.
“This girl is actually the breadwinner of the family. She’s taking all her siblings to school and nobody talks about it as a bad thing any more,” he says. Deng says those living in urban areas have become more open-minded, but some South Sudanese liken modelling to prostitution. Three years later, while living in Uganda, she was eventually scouted by a more reputable agency. An investigation by British newspaper the Times, external found that two refugees living in a camp in Kenya were flown to Europe only to be told they were too malnourished to appear on the runway.
Anok Yai
Known as the “Queen of the Dark,” Nyakim Gatwech has become a social media icon for her unapologetic love of her ultra-dark skin. Born in Australia to South Sudanese parents, she started on Australia’s Next Top Model before moving to New York, where her career skyrocketed. She often shares her journey of being discovered and how she uses modeling as a way to inspire young girls back in South Sudan. Shanelle is known for her captivating walk and presence during Paris Fashion Week. Though born in Ethiopia, Shanelle Nyasiase is of South Sudanese heritage and identifies strongly with her roots.
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South Sudan might be the youngest country in the world, but its impact on global fashion is anything but juvenile. South Sudanese models are taking the global fashion world by storm, celebrated for their striking beauty, height, and radiant dark skin.
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Aweng Ade-Chuol was born in a Kenyan refugee camp to South Sudanese parents and later moved to Australia. She grew up in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya before her family resettled in the United States. She’s walked in runway shows for Miu Miu, Loewe, and Jacquemus and has been featured in top-tier fashion magazines. Within months, Anok Yai became the first South Sudanese and second Black model ever to open a Prada runway show. But what truly sets the South Sudanese models apart is their presence; a mix of elegance, strength, and soul that cannot be taught or faked. The East African nation has produced some of the most stunning, bold, and groundbreaking models to ever walk the runway.
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Deng, who helps fledgling South Sudanese models produce portfolios, tells the BBC that some have complained about being paid for jobs in clothes, rather than money. “I was asked for money for registration, money for this, for that. I couldn’t manage all that. I’m struggling, my family is struggling, so I can’t manage all that,” she says. When she was scouted in 2019, the agency in question asked her to fork out for numerous fees – fees which she now knows agencies do not normally request. In the last three years, she has been streamed across the world while modelling, even sharing a runway with Naomi Campbell at an Off-White show. Nyakim has been featured in makeup and skincare ads, runways, and fashion campaigns that celebrate melanin. Raised in Texas after leaving South Sudan, Ataui signed with a modeling agency in her teens.
The image went viral, and soon after, she was signed by a major modeling agency. Their presence on the runway isn’t just about fashion; it’s a statement about representation and the global shift toward inclusivity. But behind the glamour lie stories of resilience—many fled conflict in South Sudan, faced exploitation, or battled cultural stigmas around modelling. Rising stars like Arop Akol and Akur Goi follow in the footsteps of icons like Alek Wek and Adut Akech, gracing top runways from Paris to Milan. An investigation by British newspaper the Times found that two refugees living in a camp in Kenya were flown to Europe only to be told they were too malnourished to appear on the runway. However, these models are of the opinion that it’s their duty to put their growing country on the map and change its war-weary narrative.
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Flick through a fashion magazine or scan footage of a runway show and you will see Akol’s point – models born and raised in South Sudan, or those from the country’s sizable diaspora, are everywhere. She sinks into the sofa at the offices of her UK agency, First Model Management, and details the burgeoning career that has seen her walk runways for luxury brands in London and Paris. Her activism has earned her respect beyond fashion, as she uses her platform to speak on racism and the need for systemic change in modeling agencies and runways. Fleeing Sudan to be a refugee in Kenya alongside her family, and then moving to Melbourne, Australia, Ajak Deng started her career in the industry too.
But before walking the runways, these models were once refugees running for their lives and scampering for safety in their own homes. And in every major fashion week, you’ll find them strutting elegantly and owning the runways like they were made for the spotlight. Unhappy that she would be modelling, the woman’s family followed her to the airport and prevented her from getting on the plane. Many models also come up against another challenge – their family’s perception of their career choice.
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“South Sudanese people have become very well known for their beauty,” says Akol, who has high cheekbones, rich, dark skin and stands 5ft 10in tall. Travelling for work can get lonely, but Akol is constantly bumping into models from her birth country – the lush, but troubled South Sudan. “I had been watching modelling online since I was a child at the age of 11,” Akol, now in her early twenties, tells the BBC. With this in mind, you can expect to find the latest trends, runway shows, celeb fashion, street style, tips, weddings, DIYs, and many more. Their contributions continue to reshape the industry and inspire the next generation of African girls who dream of a future in fashion.
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These 18 South Sudanese models represent more than just South Sudan’s modeling talents. With a commanding presence and tall frame (6’5 ft), Aheu brings grace and strength to every pin up shoot. She won Miss Earth South Sudan in 2009 and has since transitioned into high fashion modeling. Her presence challenges colorist standards and broadens the narrative around what beauty looks like globally.
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