“My journey from Egypt to South Sudan to the U.S. is one of resilience and community. This recognition is for everyone who’s ever seen their story in mine. I am a refugee, and there’s nothing stronger than that.”
After being nominated for the past two years, Sudanese model Anok Yai has finally received her well-deserved Model of The Year award. In the company of former prize winners Alex Consani and Paloma Elsesser, Yai accepted the coveted title at London’s Royal Albert Hall, delivering a moving speech that acknowledged her roots, her family’s support, and all the hard work that she herself has put into her career.
After her family fled civil war in Sudan, a country which is currently suffering from a genocide that has left thousands killed and millions in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, Anok Yai was born in Cairo, Egypt, and continued growing up in New Hampshire in the United States. When she attended Howard University’s homecoming week, Yai was approached by a professional photographer whose picture of her went viral, leading to New York’s top modeling agencies discovering her.
Only four months after being signed, Anok Yai became the first Black model to open a Prada show since Naomi Campbell opened this door in 1997. She told Vogue: “This is bigger than me. Me opening for one of the top fashion houses is a statement to the world – especially for Black women – that their beauty is something that deserves to be celebrated.”
According to Fashion Spot’s diversity report, the representation of Black models on major runways increased from 2,5% in 2015 to about 16% in 2022, which signals positive change but doesn’t tell the whole story. Visibility and exclusion can co-exist. Who are the casting agents, the creative directors, who’re signing the budgets? Business of Fashion’s 2023 “The State of Fashion” report revealed that only 5% of leadership positions in major fashion companies are held by Black professionals. What we get to see might be changing, but the people who decide what that looks like are still mostly the same. “They’ll let you in, but they don’t always make space for you to stay”, Anok Yai comments in an interview with The Cut.
While she’s walked the world’s biggest runways, is the face of some of the industry’s biggest brands, and has graced covers from Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue to Elle and Numéro, Anok Yai’s journey hasn’t always been easy. “I remember being on sets at the beginning of my career and seeing girls who didn’t look like me at all, and I knew they were the standard”, the now 27-year-old tells Bazaar. “And I remember, in my head deciding, ‘I’m going to force myself to be the standard’.” One of the biggest issues, which is one that Black models encounter to this day, was Yai’s hair.
Six months into her career, she had lost 10 inches of her hair due to the hairstylist’s lack of knowledge or ignorance. Yai started coming to set with her own products and decided to wear her hair only in an Afro or cornrows to prevent further damage. “I would go backstage, and there would be signs saying, ‘Don’t touch Anok’s hair’. And then other Black models would be like ‘Oh my god, how did you do that? I want to walk my show with an Afro too…and then it got to a point where a majority of Black girls had an Afro or cornrows. And then I said, ‘Okay, I did my job. ’”
While Anok Yai’s perseverance and confidence have definitely helped change the look of the runway for models to come, the hair of Black models continues to be a charged topic. Recently, a post called “Fashion Is Obsessed With Shaving Black Models Bald” sparked discussion online, with an outpour of comments such as “especially when they’re darkskinned” (@louisebrisante), “because they love stripping black women of their femininity and power to fit their stereotypes. it’s been like this since the age of colonization” (@myasessence) or “like the bald look is cool yes, but damn it’s been 15 years and more, do something else learn to braid learn to curl learnnnn” (@tyler_42100).
Being a Black model with an Afro myself, I can confirm that it’s frustrating when you show up to a job, and everyone else gets beautiful, creative hairstyles while the (white) hairstylist just buries their hands in your hair and goes ‘This looks perfect already. I wish I had as much hair as you do.’ Even worse, when they start experimenting on your hair without any of the right tools or products, you have to gently guide them without hurting their egos. Even though I’ve grown to love my Afro over the years, the thought of shaving it off to become an “easier manageable” model and therefore possibly more successful, keeps lurking in the back of my mind.
Munashe, the writer of the viral Instagram post, writes: “Black models, particularly those of African descent, rarely escape the shaved-head phase of their careers. Some might argue that it’s an artistic choice, like Anok Yai, who said she was inspired to go short after watching a film that became her muse for the look. But it’s hard not to notice that white counterparts in the modeling industry don’t experience the same persuasion to be sheared ‘for art.’”
My hope for the industry is that it will finally, fully realize the beauty and versatility of Black hair – whether it’s long, short, or shaved. There are endless possibilities. No model should feel the need to change their hair unless they want to – just like Anok Yai has shown us. To celebrate her win and legacy, we’ve rounded up our favorite looks the supermodel sported in 2025:
Academy Awards, March 2025
For her first-ever Oscars, Anok Yai made a grand entrance in full Hollywood glamour, dressed by Marni and wearing Bulgari jewels. The Italian luxury fashion brand, founded in Milan in 1994, is known for its unpredictable visual language that celebrates individuality by mixing prints and shapes. Paired with a modern pixie cut and luminous skin, the pale golden satin dress and black feather boa made Yai one of the showstoppers on the red carpet that night.
Met Gala, May 2025
Since her first appearance on the fashion world’s biggest red carpet in 2019, Anok Yai has forged a reputation for delivering truly refined and memorable high fashion moments like last year’s Swarovski-covered bodysuit. For this year’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the supermodel turned to American designer Thom Browne, who translated the visuals of a classic suit onto a ballgown – keeping it modern with a figure-skimming sleeveless top made of black brocade and two trompe l’oeil jacket sleeves, fanning out into a white tail.
Victoria’s Secret After Party, October 2025
After walking Victoria’s Secret annual fashion show, Anok Yai and a handful of other models, actors, and celebrities stepped out to the Crane Club in Chelsea to finish off the night. From wings and lingerie on the runway, Yai slipped into a floor-length skirt set with an ab-bearing crop top by the Vietnamese it-girl brand Fancì Club. Founded in 2020 by Khan Duy Tran, the label is redefining femininity through provocative yet poetic designs.
Business of Fashion 500 Gala, October 2025
The BoF 500 celebrates the people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion based on nominations from around the world. Anok Yai attended in a blue George Trochopoulos turtleneck maxi dress paired with white leather pumps. The London-based knitwear designer has been dressing some of the biggest names of the moment in his sophisticated, body-conscious knit creations over the last few years.
British Fashion Awards, December 2025
When accepting her Model of The Year award, Anok Yai didn’t just captivate the crowd with her emotional speech but also with her white and ivory satin mermaid gown, custom-made by designer Dilara Findikoglu. The dress was made entirely from deconstructed antique dresses along with the label’s signature inside-out corsetry. Findikoglu, who has just been hit by a Fashionista expose brimming with abuse, exploitation, and racism allegations, received the Vanguard award on the same night – a decision which now appears in a new light.
