Anok Yai, Born A Refugee, Is Shattering Stereotypes As One Of The Most Sought-After Models In Fashion

The South Sudanese’s life was permanently altered when he made the decision to attend Howard University’s 2017 Homecoming.

She has appeared on some of the most well-known covers and walked fashion shows for some of the top brands in the business today.

A photographer took her picture and then posted it to his Instagram.

When the then-college student woke up the following morning, she had hundreds of followers and messages from modeling agencies. Since then, her life has changed significantly. However, a new model needs more than just calls from modeling agencies and followers to stay relevant.

Anok Yai, 23, has managed to maintain her relevance in the fashion industry by strategically positioning herself as one of the most sought-after models.

She has done this by surrounding herself with a talented team and combining her business acumen with strategy.

Early life as a refugee

Anok and her family are originally from South Sudan, however, she was born in Cairo, Egypt.

The country has had two civil wars, and armed conflict…

Anok, a refugee from the second South Sudanese civil war, was born. The first few years of her early childhood were filled with struggle and the quest for a better life.

She is aware of the hardships faced by refugees and is passionate about the subject today.

“Being a refugee myself, I know the kinds of struggles my own family went through,” she explains. “When we came to the US I was around 3 or 4 and we stopped in New York City first and then went to New Hampshire because they had the most benefits for immigrants. We were given government housing and assistance. Had we not been given that I don’t know where we would have ended up. Growing up I saw how much my parents struggled. Having assistance alone wasn’t enough. My parents were luckily able to find jobs but they came to the US with kids and they would work 12,16-hour days almost every day, and we kids had to learn to be independent. Basically, my parents were raising me and my older sisters, and me and my older sisters were raising the younger ones. Being an immigrant, the struggles that they face are immense.”

When a country is displaced, it is common for refugees to discover missing family members years later. A large portion of Anok’s family has either passed away or is dispersed all across the globe.

“Right now, I’m actually finding out about family members that I didn’t even know I had. Since I’ve become a public figure they were able to chase me down and send me photos of when I was a little kid when we were in Egypt. I have family in Europe, Australia and all over the world.” Anok hasn’t been to South Sudan yet, but she intends to do so this year or the following. “I still have connection to my family of course and my mom and sister have gone back, so I’ve seen my home through photos and Facebook.”

New Hampshire also had its challenges and while Anok and her family were welcomed, “we were faced with a lot of racism,” she says. “As I grew up in school, I was bullied for my skin color. I had to develop thick skin, learn the language, be able to take care of my little siblings, and then go to school. In order to fend for myself, I had to develop thick skin.” Education is number one for immigrant parents and this is how Anok was raised. She was on the road to becoming a medical doctor when she was discovered to be a model. “I wanted to be in the medical field, to work in a hospital and get an MD degree, and I worked a lot on my merit. Education is still on my plate. But of course, now I can expand more with what I have.”

Since her discovery three years ago, her life has undergone significant changes. “When I first got introduced into the fashion industry, I could have easily been a flash in the pan – and I’m sure that’s what many were expecting but right away I decided that I was going to do everything I could to become a powerhouse. Being a model means running a business, where essentially, I am the business. My likeness is what draws people in and my creative and business decisions are the forces that drive it.” When the Italian company Prada gave Anok the opportunity to work at the highest level with top industry creatives, her desire to do so was satisfied, and this served as the foundation for the rest of her career.

Anok kicked off Prada’s fall/winter 2018 Milan women’s ready-to-wear collection. For two decades, no black woman had accomplished it, therefore, it was a historic occasion. The last role model to do so was Naomi Campbell. “I was unaware that I was the first black model to open a show since Naomi did so in 1997, when it all happened and I took the stage.” “When it happened and I opened the show, I had no idea that I was the first black model since 1997, since Naomi opened their show. I found out the next day. Ever since that show, I have seen other designers follow. I’ve seen a lot more Black models backstage opening and closing shows. It was a huge stride compared to the past. There are strides that we still have to make, but this is a positive one.” After that, she went on to appear on the covers of both American and British Vogue.

The need for there to be more diversity in fashion

In recent years, fashion has seriously examined its sustainability and diversity. Fashion houses that have made diversity and inclusivity a priority include Valentino and its creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli. In addition to taking the lead on this topic, Anok makes sure that her team is diverse. “One thing I also noticed is that when Black creatives are introduced into this narrative, it’s solely because they are black. I don’t like this because I want to get to the point that people don’t hire black people because they are black, but because they are unbelievably talented. Black people that I’ve worked with are the most talented in their fields.”

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Anok depends on her strong team to support her in achieving her goals, while she utilizes her influence as a role model to improve the industry in other ways. “I was able to come together with my agent and create a mutual understanding of where I wanted to go and how we would go about making our moves,” she says, reflecting on the beginning of her modeling career. “I set out building my team and put in the time and effort. I’ve always made sure to support as many black creatives as I can, including us in the narrative. I made sure that I hired as many people of color to be a part of my team, from glam and management to even my finance team.”

Because style is ephemeral Anok is careful and serious about the initiatives she takes on because she is aware that every choice she makes has an impact, whether positive or negative. In addition to feeling in control of my surroundings, it’s critical that I surround myself with a team that shares my expectations and vision. For instance, my hair was the beginning of it. I informed my agency that I wouldn’t wear my hair straight and that I would only walk a show wearing an afro or corn rolls, and if not, I wouldn’t be doing the show. Naturally, it was a dangerous move on my behalf, but it paid off since other models could see that I didn’t back down and they did the same.

Moving with success in these pandemic times

Her parents are pleased with her modeling career now that it is taking off. Both Anok and her parents place a high value on education.

The pandemic has served as a reminder to Anok of the value of following her passions, surrounding herself with positive people, and making time for her loved ones. “Before COVID, my social life wasn’t really there, and I would talk to my friends and family once every few months because I was busy working all the time, and with the quarantine, people were alone. It had such a huge effect on people’s mental states that I’ve learned the importance of surrounding myself with good people who care about me, and at the same time, I’ve been able to follow my passion and create. This time has awakened the creative side of me because, before COVID, I was solely focused on the business aspect of things and didn’t get to focus on my hobbies.”

Anok Yai’s decision to attend a Howard University homecoming weekend three years ago transported her to a world she never would have imagined. However, this is the account of her life—that of a South Sudanese refugee who finds possibilities to grow and change. “Every opportunity that comes your way is your chance to evolve. Get prepared. Stay ready.” Anok, twenty-three, is going to reveal some projects this year that she has been working on, which will be extremely different from what we have seen from her in the past.