Episode 5: Unexpectedly Discovered To Model, Anok Yai Talks Her Journey From Refugee To The Runway

Anok Yai has an incredible life story and she’s only 23 years old. I’m amazed by what she will have accomplished by 93 years old. She was born in Cairo, Egypt as a refugee to South Sudanese parents, who were able to move their family to the US. Her early life of living on government assistance taught her a lot about life and having a thick skin. She and her siblings, as they are the older ones, helped to raise her younger siblings while their parents worked hard. Anok talks about this in our interview. Education was a main standard in her household and it was while being a biochemistry student in college that Anok went down to Howard University’s homecoming, where she had her photo taken by a photographer who posted it on Instagram. The next day Anok woke up with hundreds of followers and calls from modeling agencies.  

Her life hasn’t been the same since. It was the Prada AW18 show that propelled Anok’s modelling career, where she opened the show, being the first Black woman since Naomi Campbell, who opened the show in 1997. She has walked in many more shows from New York, to Milan, London and Paris- and has taken part in countless fashion campaigns.  

Anok and I talk about this all, as well as her taking an active part in making sure fashion is diverse and inclusive.