AFRICAN MODELS

When you think of African fashion, you think of bold prints, bright colors, and statement pieces — a contrast from what you may find in fashion hubs like Paris or Milan, but a welcome change all the same. While many African models find themselves flocking to cities like New York and London to jumpstart their careers, many still incorporate their African roots into their style, mixing traditional garb with modern trends to create show-stopping, unique looks.
EDUARDO SCIAMMARELLA
Of course, it’s not always easy for African models to succeed in the fashion industry, which has been known in the past to be discriminatory and even racist at times. Women like Nyadak Thot and Alek Wek had to endure plenty of hardship based on their skin color alone as they climbed their way to the top, but by defying industry standards and succeeding beyond measure, they’ve become role models for generations of black women who often lacked representation in the fashion world.
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite African models — ones who have single-handedly influenced modern fashion, who have fought against discrimination in the industry, who have succeeded beyond measure and have opened the doors for other women who look like themselves. These women aren’t just redefining beauty standards, they’re leading a revolution.
Here are some of the leading African models in today’s fashion industry:
Nyadak Thot
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Paris, France
Nyadak Thot, who often goes by the name “Duckie” for pronunciation reasons, is an African model who grew up in Australia as a South Sudanese refugee. She was introduced to the modeling world through her sister, Nikki Perkins, who is also a model. Her sister would drive her to photoshoots and encouraged her to audition for the cycle 8 of Australia’s Next Top Model , where she finished third. Despite her success on the show, Nyadak had difficulty booking jobs in Australia due to her darker complexion and soon decided to move to New York, where she believed she might find more success as a model. It turns out, Duckie was right — she has since done campaigns for Fenty x Puma, Fenty Beauty, Moschino, and Oscar de la Renta.
Adesuwa Aighewi
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86.6k followers
Adesuwa Aighewi was born in Minnesota, but spent half her childhood in Nigeria with her parents, who are environmental scientists. Before she began her career as an African model, she studied chemistry at the University of Maryland at the young age of 15. It was there that she was discovered by an agent while on-campus. Adesuwa now has an illustrious career walking for Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton, and Kate Spade, among other influential and legendary designers. Adesuwa also appeared in several Childish Gambino music videos and is currently ranked on models.com’s Hot List.
Fatima Siad
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136k followers
Before Fatima Siad became an African model, she lived through plenty of hardships in her home country of Somalia. After her two sisters were killed by the Somali army during the civil war, her mother took her, then 13, and fled to the United States. She garnered international fame after she competed in cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model , where she placed third. After her TV breakthrough, Fatima was featured in Vogue , Elle , Marie Claire , and Cosmopolitan . She has walked for some of the world’s biggest designers, including Armani and Ralph Lauren, and has worked in campaigns for Marc Jacobs and Tiffany & Co. In 2015, Cosmopolitan named Fatima one of the most successful models to come from the Top Model franchise.
Alek Wek
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New York, New York
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6,752 likes
In 1995, several years after fleeing the conflict in South Sudan for England, 16-year-old Alek Wek was discovered by a talent agent in a marketplace in Crystal Palace, London. Her career grew quickly, and by 1997, she had won the title of “Model of the Year” from MTV and became the first African model to grace the cover of Elle that year. Soon, Alek was modeling for the biggest players in the fashion industry, including Chanel, Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, and Givenchy, and redefining beauty standards with every job she took. Alek has been credited as one of the first darker skinned models to achieve mainstream success in the fashion industry, and was considered the first black model that didn’t conform to the Caucasian aesthetic. High-profile celebrities from Oprah to Lupita Nyong’o have praised Alek for giving black woman a role model in a time when there seemed to be so few.