Anok Yai is an American model who is well-known for being the first model of South Sudanese descent who have opened a fashion show for the leading fashion house, Prada. After Naomi Campbell, she became the 2nd black model in the history of fashion to open a show for Prada. Anok Yai was discovered by a photographer in October 2017 and soon after, he posted her picture on Instagram which attracted a lot of attention and, just like that, her modeling career embarked. Since then, she has walked the ramp for a number of major fashion houses and designers which include the likes of Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Max Mara, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Chanel, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten, Valentino, Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Dior, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Alberta Ferretti, Bottega Veneta, Haider Ackermann, Alexander McQueen, and . Anok Yai has also been featured on the covers of several magazines such as Dazed Magazine, i-D Magazine, Another Magazine, Vogue Korea, CR Fashion Book, Vogue Italia, Vogue Brasil, The New York Times Style Magazine, and Vogue Japan. Moreover, she has also garnered an immense fan base on social media and enjoys more than 500k followers on Instagram and more than 10k followers on Twitter.
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Residence
New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Anok Yai got enrolled at Manchester High School West which is a public high school located in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating high school, she went on to studied at Plymouth State University, a public university located in Plymouth, New Hampshire, pursuing a degree in Biochemistry, while aiming to become a doctor.
Manager
Anok Yai is managed by –
- Next New York – New York
- Next Paris – Paris
- Next Milan – Milan
- Next London – London
- Alim Yai, Manager
Boyfriend / Spouse
Anok Yai has dated –
- – Anok Yai is in a relationship with model Alton Mason who is known for having walked the ramp for various popular brands and designers such as Yeezy, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Versace, Fenty, PUMA, Brooks Brothers, Michael Kors, Philipp Plein, , Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Fendi, , , and many more. The duo has been together for quite a while and Anok Yai also often shares their pictures on Instagram to keep her fans updated about their relationship as well as to flaunt their love.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Lean body
- Arched eyebrows
- Pouty lips
Shoe Size
10 (US) or 7.5 (UK) or 40.5 (EU)
Brand Endorsements
Anok Yai has done endorsement work for a variety of brands such as Prada, Nike, Estee Lauder, Alexander Wang, Fendi, Burberry, Chanel, Saint Laurent, H&M, Versace, Max Mara, Tom Ford, and Prada Eyewear.
Best Known For
- Having walked for a number of designers and brands such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Max Mara, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, , Chanel, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Chloe, Dries Van Noten, Loewe, Valentino, Givenchy, , Sacai, Dior, Proenza Schouler, , Anna Sui, , , Alberta Ferretti, Bottega Veneta, Lanvin, Haider Ackermann, , and Alexander Wang
- Appearing on the covers of various magazines like Dazed Magazine, i-D Magazine, Purple Magazine, Dust Magazine, Another Magazine, Vogue Korea, CR Fashion Book, Vogue Italia, Vogue Brasil, The New York Times Style Magazine, and Vogue Japan
- Having been featured in several editorials and magazines such as Self Service, Pop Magazine, V Magazine, Dazed Magazine, British Vogue, Vogue Italia, Estee Lauder, i-D Magazine, The New York Times Style Magazine, Purple Magazine, Garage Magazine, American Vogue, CR Fashion Book, W Magazine, Elle U.S., Harper’s Bazaar U.S., Another Magazine, Vogue Korea, Vogue Paris, Vogue Japan, Vogue Brasil, Vogue Taiwan, Vogue China, Harper’s Bazaar UK, Harper’s Bazaar Australia, Harper’s Bazaar Mexico, and Harper’s Bazaar Germany
First Fashion Show
Anok Yai made her fashion show debut by walking the ramp at the Prada F/W 18 Men’s and Women’s Show.
Personal Trainer
Anok Yai has maintained a toned body by working out on a regular basis and leading an active life. Also, she makes sure to drink adequate every day to keep herself hydrated and her skin radiant.
Anok Yai Favorite Things
- Food – Fries, Cheeseburgers
Source –
Anok Yai Facts
- After her birth in Cairo, Egypt, her family shifted to Manchester, New Hampshire, United States when she was 2 years old.
- While growing up, Anok Yai was tall, skinny, and an awkward tomboy and she had never imagined that one day, she would pursue modeling as a career.
- In October 2017, she was discovered by a professional photographer during the homecoming week at Howard University. He asked to click a picture of hers which he later uploaded on Instagram and as the picture garnered more than 20k ‘likes’, many modeling agencies were drawn towards Anok Yai and started trying to get in touch with her.
- IMG Models was also one of the many agencies that proposed to sign her at the start of her career but she decided to sign with Next Model Management, who had been calling her daily for weeks.
- As soon as her professional modeling career started, Anok Yai started achieving great things, starting with becoming the first-ever model of South Sudanese descent to open a fashion show for the prestigious fashion brand, Prada. Regarding her big moment, she told Vogue, “It was an honor and I’m proud that I was the one chosen to open, but this is bigger than me. Me opening for one of the top fashion houses is a statement to the world – especially for black women – that their beauty is something that deserves to be celebrated.”
- After she had opened the show for Prada, she went straight to a nightclub in Milan to party all night with some of her friends.
- Anok Yai is the 2nd black model, after , to open a show for Prada.
- She was assigned as a spokesmodel for the popular brand, Estée Lauder, in July 2018.
- She was inspired to pursue a career in fashion after she watched the celebrated English model, actress, and businesswoman, Naomi Campbell, walking down the ramp in the 2003 Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Watching a black woman walk the ramp with so much confidence and elegance inspired her a great deal.
- She has been ranked in Models.com‘s “Top 50” list as well as its “Hot List”.
- According to Anok Yai, the difference between fashion modeling and beauty modeling is that fashion requires not only great facial expressions but also amazing body movements while on the other hand, beauty demands for the control of the face.
- She has also been a part of a couple of lookbooks for the likes of Zara, Burberry, and Azzedine Alaia.
- She has revealed that she takes care of her face by moisturizing it every single day, exfoliating it every other day, and using a mask 3 times a week.
- One of the beauty tips that Anok Yai always follows is to curl her eyelashes.
- She is friends with a couple of models such as Alyssa Traoré, Aube Jolicoeur, , and .
- After waking up in the morning, the first thing she does in checking her emails as well as social media.
- She enjoys playing volleyball and basketball.
- The thing that Anok Yai finds the toughest about her career as a model is that she almost never gets a chance to stay in one place for some extended period of time.
- One can always find some pickles in her refrigerator.
- She has described herself as a night owl.
- Her secret talent is that she can bend her thumb all the way back.
Featured Image by Anok Yai / Instagram
Facts of Anok Yai
- Gender Female
- full nameAnok Yai
- nicknamesAnok
- birthplaceCairo, Egypt
- Date of Birth December 20, 1997
- Age 27 years 0 months
- Horoscope Sagittarius
- Lucky Number 4
- Lucky Stone Turquoise
- Lucky Color Orange
- Best Match for Marriage Leo, Aquarius
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundSouth Sudanese
- nationalityEgyptian
- professionModel
- weight55 kg or 121 lbs
- height5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
- hair colorDark Brown
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildSlim
- high schoolManchester High School
- collegePlymouth State University
- sistersAlim Yai
- favorite foodFries, Cheeseburgers