Anok Yai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anok Yai
Yai in about 2022
Born	(1997-12-20) December 20, 1997 (age 27) Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	American South Sudanese
Occupation	Model
Years active	2017–present
Modeling information
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Agency	No smoking (New York) SAFE Management (Paris)

Anok Yai (born December 20, 1997) is a famous South Sudanese-American fashion model. She made history as the second Black supermodel to open a Prada fashion show. This is a very important moment in the fashion world.

Anok has been featured on many international Vogue magazine covers. She has also appeared on i-D magazine. Models.com, a top website for models, calls her one of the "New Supers" of her generation. In 2023, both fashion experts and fans chose her as "Model of the Year."

Anok Yai's Early Life

Anok Yai was born in Cairo, Egypt. Her family had to leave Sudan because of a difficult situation there. When Anok was three years old, her family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, in the United States.

Her mother works as a nurse. Her father works for a group called Easterseals. Anok's sister, Alim, is her manager and also a financial expert. Anok went to Manchester High School West. After high school, she studied biochemistry at Plymouth State University. She planned to become a doctor.

Anok Yai's Modeling Career

How Anok Yai Was Discovered

Anok Yai's modeling journey began in October 2017. She was at Howard University for their homecoming week. A professional photographer named Steve Hall took her picture. He then shared the photo on Instagram. The picture quickly received over 20,000 likes.

Many modeling agencies, including IMG Models, wanted to contact her. Anok decided to sign with Next Model Management. They had called her every day for several weeks.

Anok Yai's Big Break in Fashion

Just four months after being discovered, Anok Yai made history. She became the first Sudanese model to open a Prada fashion show. Opening a Prada show is considered one of the biggest achievements for a model. It often helps launch their careers.

Anok also appeared in Prada's Spring/Summer 2018 advertising campaign. She was also part of a Nike campaign. This Nike campaign was designed by Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci.

Anok shared her feelings about this big moment with Vogue magazine. She said it was an honor and she was proud to be chosen. She felt it was important for all Black women. It showed that their beauty should be celebrated.

Walking the Runways and Campaigns

Anok Yai has walked on runways for many famous brands. These include Versace, Max Mara, Fendi, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton. She has also appeared in advertisements for Tiffany & Co., Nike, Hood by Air, and Ambush.

Anok has been featured on the covers and in articles of many magazines. These include different international editions of Vogue, W, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle.

In 2018, Anok was part of a Nike, Riccardo Tisci, and Minotaurs advertising campaign. In July 2018, she became a spokesperson for Estée Lauder. In December 2018, she was in a campaign for Alexander Wang. That year, she also appeared on the covers of Dazed and i-D.

In 2019, Anok Yai was in a short film for the Chanel-Pharrell Collection. She was with other models like Adut Akech. She also appeared on the covers of AnOther and CR Fashion Book. She was on the covers of Vogue in Korea, Italy, Brazil, and Japan.

In 2020, Anok modeled for the Versace Resort "Flash 2021" campaign. She was also in the Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2020 campaign. Anok appeared on the cover of Vogue again. This included the Japanese, German, Dutch, and American editions.

In 2021, Anok Yai was the star of the Ambush Spring/Summer 2021 campaign. She also led Hood by Air's "02 PROLOGUE" campaign photoshoot. Juergen Teller photographed her for a Yves Saint Laurent advertisement. In September 2021, she was on the cover of Vogue with other models like Bella Hadid.

Anok Yai Becomes a Supermodel

In 2022, Anok Yai appeared in two Spring/Summer campaigns. These were for Max Mara and Alexander McQueen. She also modeled for Loro Piana. Anok later worked with photographer Steven Meisel again for a Tiffany & Co. perfume campaign. In February 2022, she was on the cover of British Vogue with an all-Black modeling cast.

Anok was officially recognized as a supermodel in September 2022. This was on a cover celebrating the 50th anniversary of W magazine.

In 2023, Anok Yai was featured on a Vogue tribute cover for Karl Lagerfeld. She also covered Vogue Spain, Vogue Italy, and i-D. Anok appeared in the music video for the song "Say Something" by rapper Lil Yachty. During Paris Fashion Week, Anok opened her first Mugler runway show.

After attending the 2023 Met Gala in a special dress by Prabal Gurung, Vogue Australia called her one of the "best dressed supermodels." W magazine also noted how striking her look was. Anok finished 2023 as the "Model of the Year" according to both fashion experts and fans on models.com.

Anok Yai started 2024 by walking for the Louis Vuitton Men's Fall/Winter show. This was also during Paris Fashion Week. She then appeared in the music video "I KNOW?" by rapper Travis Scott. In February, she became the face of Alien Hypersense, a new perfume by Mugler. Later in 2024, Anok appeared in the music video for Offset's song "Swing My Way."

Anok Yai's Media Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Anok Yai para niños