About
Adut Akech Bior is a South-Sudanese-Australian fashion model whose rise from a refugee camp in Kenya to the most coveted runways in Paris has turned her into one of the defining faces of modern fashion. Crowned Models.com “Model of the Year” twice (2018 and 2019) and listed among the site’s “New Supers,” she regularly opens or closes shows for houses such as Valentino, Saint Laurent, Chanel, Prada, and Versace. In May 2025 she again stole the spotlight at the Met Gala, gliding up the museum steps in a blush-pink Swarovski creation topped with a sculptural feather collar, only five months after welcoming her first child.
Before Fame
Born on 25 December 1999 while her family was fleeing civil war, Adut spent her first years in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. When she was seven, she and her mother resettled in Adelaide, Australia, where teachers called her “Mary” because they struggled with the pronunciation of “Adut.” She discovered fashion through relatives who staged local catwalk shows and was scouted several times as a teenager but waited until 16 to sign with Chadwick Models. Her international break arrived fast: after a community runway in Adelaide and an appearance at Melbourne Fashion Week, Saint Laurent flew her to Paris as an exclusive for its Spring/Summer 2017 show—launching a career that would rewrite casting norms and push for refugee representation on global stages.
Trivia
- Second Black Chanel couture bride – In July 2018 Karl Lagerfeld chose her to close Chanel Haute Couture as the house’s bride, making her only the second Black woman ever given that honor and cementing her status as one of Lagerfeld’s muses.
- Double “Model of the Year” winner – She is one of the few models to win the Models.com readers’ choice award two years in a row (2018 and 2019).
- UN Refugee Agency supporter – Drawing on her own background, Adut partners with UNHCR campaigns that advocate for displaced people worldwide.
- Magazine mix-up that sparked a media reckoning – In 2019 Australia’s Who magazine printed a photo of a different Black model in her profile; Adut’s measured but firm response opened a wider conversation about racial bias in publishing.
- Silver-screen cameo – She appeared alongside Naomi Campbell in Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” segment of Black Is King (2020).
- Interior-design enthusiast – Architectural Digest recently spotlighted the airy, pink-washed nursery she designed in Los Angeles, revealing a budding passion for interiors that she hopes to explore further.
Family Life
Adut keeps her private world close, but in Vogue Australia’s November 2024 cover story she softly confirmed she had quietly married fellow model Samuel Elkhier, her high-school sweetheart. Their daughter, Imani—affectionately nicknamed “Kiki” on social media—arrived in December 2024. In March 2025 the new mum shared the first photo with her baby on the cover of POP Magazine, while an Architectural Digest feature captured the calm, minimalist nursery she created at their Studio City home. Adut says motherhood has been “the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced,” and she plans to balance parenthood with runway returns, starting with Paris Fashion Week later this year.
Associated With
- Karl Lagerfeld – Longtime muse who cast her as Chanel’s couture bride.
- Pierpaolo Piccioli & Valentino – Piccioli featured her in campaigns and entrusted her with dramatic closing looks that became viral fashion moments.
- Swarovski & Giovanna Engelbert – Collaborated on her 2025 Met Gala feather-collar ensemble celebrating the brand’s 130-year legacy.
- Carolina Herrera & Wes Gordon – Partnered on a monochrome tribute gown for the 2023 “Karl” themed Met Gala.
- Estée Lauder – Serving as a global beauty ambassador since 2021, fronting skincare and makeup campaigns worldwide.
- Naomi Campbell – Appeared together in campaigns and Beyoncé’s visual album, highlighting a cross-generational bond between supermodels.
