About
Anok Yai is a South-Sudanese American model whose rise from a college campus snapshot to the upper tiers of fashion happened at lightning speed. Discovered in 2017 when a photographer’s Howard University homecoming photo of her went viral, she soon signed with Next Model Management and, just four months later, opened Prada’s Fall 2018 show — the first Black woman to do so since Naomi Campbell in 1997. Today she is ranked among Models.com’s “New Supers,” fronts campaigns for Estée Lauder, Mugler’s Alien Hypersense fragrance, and graces the covers of magazines from Vogue France to Harper’s Bazaar. In 2023 both industry insiders and fans voted her “Model of the Year,” confirming her status as a modern supermodel.
Before Fame
Born in Cairo on December 20, 1997, Anok was the second of six children to South-Sudanese parents who had fled conflict at home. The family resettled in Manchester, New Hampshire, when she was three. Growing up, she split her time between school, soccer practice, and helping her mother, a nurse. At Manchester High School West she excelled in science and later majored in biochemistry at Plymouth State University, intending to become a doctor. Modeling never crossed her mind until that fateful homecoming photo rewrote her plans.
Trivia
- Viral beginnings: The Instagram shot that launched her career racked up more than 20,000 likes in a single night and triggered calls from nearly every major agency.
- Prada record-breaker: By opening Prada’s show, she became only the second Black model ever — and the first of South-Sudanese heritage — to claim that coveted spot.
- Beauty ambassador: In 2018 Estée Lauder tapped her as a global spokesmodel, underscoring the brand’s push for wider shade ranges.
- Runway favorite: Versace, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Mugler, and Burberry regularly book her, drawn to her smooth, confident walk that editors now call one of the sharpest in the business.
- Pop-culture cameos: She appears in music videos for Lil Yachty’s “Say Something,” Travis Scott’s “I KNOW?,” and Offset’s “Swing My Way,” proving her crossover appeal.
- Cover queen: Her 2024 Vogue France cover, shot by Mikael Jansson, drew comparisons to Diana Ross and trended across social media for its disco-era glamour.
Family Life
Anok keeps relatives close. Her mother’s work as a nurse and her father’s role with Easterseals shaped her strong work ethic, while her older sister Alim left finance to act as her manager — a move Anok credits with keeping her grounded. The Yai siblings still gather for large family dinners where English, Arabic, and native South-Sudanese dialects mingle around the table. Though her schedule is global, she frequently returns to New Hampshire for quiet time with siblings, nieces, and nephews.
Associated With
- Naomi Campbell: Anok’s Prada milestone invited immediate comparisons to Campbell, and the veteran supermodel has publicly praised her successor.
- Adut Akech & Alton Mason: Fellow “New Supers” and close friends — the trio often supports one another backstage and appeared together in Chanel and Mugler projects.
- Designers Riccardo Tisci & Prabal Gurung: Tisci cast her in Nike’s “Victorious Minotaurs” and Mugler campaigns, while Gurung created her celebrated 2023 Met Gala gown.
- Photographers Steven Meisel & Annie Leibovitz: Meisel shot her Max Mara and Tiffany & Co. images; Leibovitz lensed her for Vogue’s Karl Lagerfeld tribute cover, cementing her place among fashion’s icons.
