Models
African Supermodels Dominating Global Fashion
Six African supermodels are redefining what global fashion is, from runways to campaigns of world’s most coveted luxury houses. Mayowa Nicolas, Anok Yai, Adut Akech, Imaan Hammam, Maty Fall, and Alek Wek are not just breaking barriers but setting new ones, reshaping how African identity is perceived on global stage and joining the ranks of the most iconic fashion models contributing positively to global fashion.
Mayowa Nicolas ( Nigeria)

Photo – brandonmaxwell
A 28 year old Model, born on May 22, 1998 from Lagos, Nigeria. She was first scouted on the streets of Lagos at the age of 14. Mayowa had her official debut when she joined and won the Elite Model Look Nigeria competition in 2014. Her first major global project runway season was in 2015 where she walked for Balmain & Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, Kenzo, Hermés, Acne Studio, and others. Her breakthrough milestone came in 2016 when she became the first-ever Nigerian model to star in a Dolce & Gabbana campaign. She made her official debut on Victoria’s Secret in 2018.
Other high-profile designers she has walked for include Prada, Chanel, Versace, Saint Laurent, and Michael Kors.
Mayowa is currently ranked among the Top 50 models known for her lethal razor-sharp runway walks, and elegance.
Anok Yai (South Sudan)

Photo – Instagram
Born on December 20, 1997 to a South Sudanese parents. She was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in New Hampshire, USA. She was discovered when a street-style photographer took a picture of her at Howard’s University’s Homecoming and it went viral on Instagram.
She got signed by Next Models and her first major booking was opening the Prada Fall/Winter 2018 Show, making her the first Sudanese model and the second Black woman in history after Naomi Campbell to ever open Prada show
Anok Yai has walked for high-profile designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, Chanel, Mugler, Fendi, and Versace. She is known for her striking, hypnotic gaze, porcelain-smooth dark skin and iconic walk.
Anok recently returned to the spotlight as the cover of British Vogue 2026 after she was diagnosed with life-threatening congenital lung defect last year.
Adut Akech (South Sudan)

Photo – dreamstime
From a refugee camp to the global stage. Adut was born on December 25, 1999 in South Sudan, raised in a refugee camp in Kenya and later moved to Adelaide, Australia.
She started walking at small local shows organised by her aunt at age 12 in Australia before signing with Chadwick Models at age 16. Her journey to global stardom began after she landed a runway exclusivity deal with Saint Laurent for the Spring/Summer 2017 show. Shortly after, she became the second Black model to ever close a Chanel Haute Couture Show as the “Chanel Bride.”
Other high-profile designers she has walked for include Valentino, Dior, Versace, Prada, Givenchy, and Alexander McQueen.
She has bagged 16 international Vogue covers in record time. Also known for her commanding runway presence and using her platform to heavily advocate for refugees worldwide.
Imaan Hammam (Morocco)

Photo – Instagram
Imaan was born on October 5, 1996 to a Moroccan mother and Egyptian Father descent. She was raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
She was discovered at age 13 by a modeling scout while walking through Amsterdam Central Station. Imaan had her debut on the runway by opening the Givenchy Spring/Summer 2014 show as an exclusive. Her breakthrough followed in 2014 when Anna Wintour placed her on the highly covered September Cover of American Vogue.
She has walked for Alexander McQueen, Versace, Fendi, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jacquemus, and Victoria’s Secret.
She is known for her signature voluminous natural curls, rich North African features, and she’s serving as the global ambassador face of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder.
Maty Fall (Senegal) — Maty Fall Diba

Photo – tagwalk
Maty Fall’s career took off in 2019 when she made a move. Born on May 1, 2001 in Dakar, Senegal. She moved to Chiampo, Italy at age 9. Her career started when she directly submitted her own digital Polaroid photos through the IMG Models online scouting portals in 2019 and got signed a few months after.
Her first project was walking as a semi-exclusive for Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2020 show. She launched into editorial stardom that same season when designer Pierpaolo Piccioli chose her to close the Valentino SS20 show.
Maty has also dominated the global stage as an African model walking for Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Max Mara, Schiaparelli, and Versace.
The Senegalese-Italian is known for her extreme runway versatility and has held a rare industry record for walking 37 elite shows in a single fashion month in September 2020.
Alek Wek (South Sudan)

Photo – vogue
The South Sudan model was born on April 16, 1997 in Wau. She belongs to the Dinka ethnic group but fled to London in 1991 to escape the Sudanese civil war.
At the time she was discovered by chance at age 18 while walking through outdoor Crystal Palace Market in South London by a model scout, she was studying fashion at the London College of Fashion.
She had first commercial projects in 1995, where she starred in high-profile music videos, including Tina Turner’s James Bond theme “GoldenEye.” Her industry milestone came in 1997 when she became the first-ever African model to land the cover of Elle Magazine. This single cover radically challenged Western beauty ideals. In 2004, she made history as the first Black model to close a Chanel Haute Couture show as the iconic “Chanel Bride.”
Alek has walked for Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Ralph Lauren, Givenchy, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
She is known as a trailblazer who single-handedly revolutionized global beauty standards in the late 1990s by bringing dark skin, natural Dinka features and shaved head to the luxury fashion mainstream. Praised by icons like Oprah Winfrey and Lupita Nyong’o for changing how Black women see themselves, she is actively using her platform as a prominent UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador to champion refugee causes worldwide.
Models
Rachael Ojuromi Makes Chanel SS27 Runway Debut After Viral Lagos Show Recreation
Nigerian model and creative Rachael Ojuromi has made her Chanel runway debut at the fashion house’s Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris, taking a fashion recreation she staged in Lagos to the Chanel runway. Ojuromi, 22, walked in Chanel’s SS27 presentation at the Grand Palais on October 5, where designer Matthieu Blazy presented his latest collection for the French fashion house.
For the show, Ojuromi wore a chartreuse-and-ash tweed look, featuring a yellowish-green and grey palette, with a crimson handbag. The outfit was part of Blazy’s SS27 collection, which brought Chanel’s signature tweed together with different textures and accessories.

Photo: Rachael Ojuromi
Her Chanel debut is also connected to a project she created in Lagos with Fasingha and photographer Odey Ikpä. The trio recreated looks inspired by Blazy’s Chanel Métiers d’Art collection using thrifted pieces and clothes they already owned, then photographed them in different parts of Lagos. Rather than copy the original presentation, they placed the looks in familiar city settings and gave the project a distinctly Nigerian setting.
The project soon drew attention to Ojuromi, Fasingha and Ikpä. Ojuromi said the idea was not simply to copy Chanel’s collection, but to capture the feeling behind Blazy’s work and interpret it through her own surroundings. The approach allowed the Lagos shoot to stand on its own rather than mirror the original collection.

Photo: Rachael Ojuromi
Blazy later noticed the project, creating a link between the Lagos recreation and Ojuromi’s appearance in Paris. Ojuromi has described the opportunity as the result of several steps rather than one defining moment.
For Ojuromi, modelling is part of a wider creative career. Before pursuing it seriously, she worked in filmmaking and creative direction and founded The Process Africa, a platform focused on documenting and supporting young African creatives. Her projects with Fasingha became another outlet for that work, often using Lagos as their backdrop.

Photo: Rachael Ojuromi
Her work in Lagos eventually opened a door to Paris, adding a major international runway credit to the creative career she had already been building.
Models
Tamunosoye Karibi-George Secures Top 12 Finish at Miss World 2026
Nigeria’s Tamunosoye Karibi-George finished among the Top 12 contestants at Miss World 2026 during the grand finale in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on September 5. The 26-year-old was one of 111 contestants who competed in this year’s pageant, which featured several weeks of competitions and activities before the final night.
Karibi-George was not selected among the judges’ initial Top 20, but the live public voting format gave her another route into the competition. Under the pageant’s format, the top two public-voted contestants earned a spot in the Top 12, allowing Karibi-George to advance.

Photo: Instagram/@soye_kg
Meanwhile, Eritrea’s Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin won the overall People’s Choice Award, which fast-tracked her directly into the Top 6.
Before the grand finale, Karibi-George won the Miss World Africa Top Model title at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest XVII, earning an automatic spot in the next stage after competing against other representatives from Africa.
Outside the main competition, Karibi-George used the Miss World platform to highlight causes she has worked on in Nigeria. Her advocacy project, Beyond Labels, focuses on inclusion and creating opportunities for children with disabilities and special needs.

Photo: Instagram/@soye_kg
She also participated in the Dance of the World presentation, representing Nigeria and drawing attention to environmental concerns connected to the Niger Delta.
Karibi-George earned the opportunity to represent Nigeria internationally after she was crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 on June 6 at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. She emerged as the winner from 20 finalists and represented Bayelsa State at the national pageant before travelling to Vietnam for the Miss World competition.
The Miss World 2026 title was won by Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic. Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés finished as first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty was named second runner-up.
Models
Tamunosoye Karibi-George Wins African Top Model Title at Miss World
Tamunosoye Karibi-George has given Nigeria another big win at Miss World 2026. The Miss World Nigeria 2026 winner has been named Africa’s Top Model, securing her place in the Top 40 of the global competition taking place in Vietnam.
Karibi-George earned the title during the Top Model competition held as part of Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest XVII, themed “Soul of Heritage.” She came out on top as the African winner, finishing ahead of contestants from Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa. Her win means she does not have to wait for the other challenges to determine her place in the quarter-finals. She is already in.

Photo: Instagram/@Tamunosoye George
The Miss World Organisation announced four continental Top Model winners, with Nigeria representing Africa. The other winners came from the Dominican Republic for the Americas and Caribbean, France for Europe, and Vietnam for Asia and Oceania. Each continental winner earned an automatic place in the Top 40, which has 10 contestants from each region.
There is still more at stake for Karibi-George. The four continental winners will continue in the race for the overall Top Model title, and the eventual winner will receive a direct place in the Top 20. That gives Nigeria’s representative another opportunity to move further ahead before the competition reaches its final stages.
For Karibi-George, this latest achievement adds to a pageant journey that had already taken her beyond Nigeria. The 26-year-old, who is from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 after representing Bayelsa State at the national competition. She emerged from a field of 20 finalists and took over the crown from Joy Raimi.

Photo: Miss World
Her story also extends beyond pageantry. Karibi-George is a communications professional and the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative focused on inclusion and opportunities for children with special needs. She has carried that advocacy into her Miss World journey, giving the Nigerian queen something more to represent than a title and a sash.
She had also shown promise earlier in Vietnam, reaching the African finals of the Head-to-Head Challenge before taking the Africa Top Model title.
Now, with a Top 40 spot already secured, Karibi-George has a bigger challenge ahead: pushing her way closer to the Miss World crown. For Nigeria, the wait continues, but the country already has plenty to celebrate.
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