With her understated yet stylish attire, flowing braids, and fresh, makeup-free face, Arop Akol embodies the effortless elegance of an off-duty model.
Settled comfortably on a sofa at the London offices of her agency, First Model Management, she reflects on a rapidly blossoming career that has taken her to prestigious runways in London and Paris, showcasing her work for luxury brands.
“I’d been following the modeling world online since I was 11,” Akol, now in her early twenties, shares with the BBC.
Over the past three years, her image has graced screens worldwide. A career highlight includes sharing the runway with Naomi Campbell during an Off-White show.
While the extensive travel demands of her profession can be isolating, Akol frequently encounters fellow models from her homeland—the breathtaking yet troubled South Sudan.
“South Sudanese women have become renowned for their beauty,” notes Akol, possessing striking high cheekbones, rich dark skin, and a statuesque 5ft 10in frame.
A quick glance through a fashion magazine or a runway show confirms her observation—models born and raised in South Sudan, or from its diaspora, are ubiquitous.
This includes rising stars like Akol herself, alongside established supermodels such as Anok Yai, Adut Akech, and Alek Wek.
Discovered in a London car park in 1995, Wek was a pioneer, achieving global success and gracing numerous Vogue covers, and working with prestigious brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton.
The prominence of South Sudanese models shows no signs of abating. Models.com, a leading industry platform, annually compiles a list of the top 50 “future stars,” and in its latest edition, one in five models boasts South Sudanese heritage.
Furthermore, Vogue featured four South Sudanese models in its article profiling “11 young models set to storm the catwalks in 2025”.
“Many South Sudanese models possess the qualities expected of a model,” explains Dawson Deng, co-founder of South Sudan Fashion Week in Juba, alongside fellow former model Trisha Nyachak. “They have the perfect dark skin, the melanin, the height.”
Lucia Janosova, a casting agent at First Model Management, tells the BBC: “Of course, they are beautiful… beautiful skin, the height.”
However, she admits uncertainty regarding the specific reasons for the industry’s preference for South Sudanese models over other nationalities.
“I can’t pinpoint the reason because many other stunning models hail from Mozambique, Nigeria, and various other countries,” Ms. Janosova adds.
Akur Goi, a South Sudanese model who has collaborated with designers like Givenchy and Armani, offers a perspective.
She suggests that their appeal extends beyond physical attributes, encompassing a remarkable “resilience.”
Goi was born in Juba but relocated to neighboring Uganda as a child, mirroring the experiences of Akol and hundreds of thousands of other South Sudanese.
Many fled in the years following South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011. While initial hopes were high, a civil war erupted just two years later, resulting in 400,000 deaths and 2.5 million displaced individuals seeking refuge in countries like Uganda.
Even after the civil war’s five-year conclusion, ongoing violence, natural disasters, and poverty continue to fuel emigration. Recent clashes between government and opposition forces have escalated, raising fears of a return to civil war.
Having escaped the turmoil of South Sudan for Uganda, Goi’s “greatest ambition” was to become a model.
This dream materialized last year when she was scouted via Facebook. Her debut runway appearance was for Roberto Cavalli, the Italian fashion giant.
“I was thrilled and prepared for my first season… Nervous and apprehensive, I told myself: ‘I can do this’—because it was a dream,” Goi shares with the BBC from Milan, having recently flown out for a last-minute job.
However, some South Sudanese models have endured more challenging experiences.
An investigation by the British newspaper the Times revealed that two refugees residing in a Kenyan camp were flown to Europe only to be deemed too malnourished for runway appearances.
Several others, after completing assignments, were informed of substantial debts owed to their agencies—as some contracts stipulate repayment for visa and flight costs once earnings commence.
Akol encountered a similar situation. When scouted in 2019, her initial agency demanded numerous fees, a practice she later learned was uncommon.
“I was charged for registration, various other fees. I couldn’t afford it all. I was struggling, my family was struggling,” she recalls.
Three years later, while living in Uganda, she secured representation with a reputable agency.
Deng, who assists aspiring South Sudanese models with portfolio development, informs the BBC that some models have reported receiving payment in clothing instead of monetary compensation.
Another significant hurdle for many models involves navigating their family’s perceptions of their career choice.
“My relatives disapproved then, and still do,” Akol, now residing in London, says.
“But we [models] have demonstrated that as a young nation, we need to engage with the world. We need to participate in global opportunities.”
Deng notes a shift towards more open-mindedness in urban areas, yet some South Sudanese equate modeling with prostitution.
Parents question the very concept—why their daughters would “walk in front of people,” he explains.
Deng recalls a young woman he mentored who was about to embark on her first international job. Her family, opposed to her modeling, intercepted her at the airport, preventing her departure.
However, the family eventually relented, and she has since modeled for a leading lingerie brand.
“This woman is now the family’s primary breadwinner, supporting her siblings’ education, and her career is no longer viewed negatively,” he states.
He expresses pride in witnessing this model and others from South Sudan on the global stage. While industry trends fluctuate, Deng believes the demand for South Sudanese models will endure.
Goi concurs, highlighting the “growing demand for diversity” in fashion.
Akol echoes this sentiment: “Alek Wek has been a prominent figure before my birth and remains so today.
“South Sudanese models have a bright future ahead.”
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