The British Fashion Council has named Anok Yai the 2025 Model of the Year. Her story, from a chance photo at Howard’s homecoming to the highest levels of fashion, is a moment for the culture.
The South Sudanese model was studying biochemistry in New Hampshire when she visited Howard for the weekend. A photographer, Steve Hall, was there to capture Black fashion and asked to take her picture. He posted it on his Instagram, and the image went viral.
Within days, Anok Yai went from a few hundred followers to tens of thousands. The industry noticed. She soon signed with an agency, broke new ground opening for Prada, and has been a fixture on every major runway and magazine cover since.
This win is bigger than one person. It’s for every dark-skinned girl who dreams of seeing herself represented without compromise. It shows what happens when our own people see the beauty in us first.
Her success proves what we’ve always known.
