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Anok Yai, Sudanese Star Who Became the World’s Highest-Paid Model

Anok Yai is a Sudanese supermodel who rose from refugee beginnings, and now she is one of the world’s highest-paid and most admired faces in global fashion.

Published By: Khushi Kumari
Last Updated: September 1, 2025 19:21:33 IST

Anok Yai is a Sudanese model born on December 20, 1997, in Cairo, Egypt, where her family had fled. When she was around 3-years old, they migrated to Manchester, New Hampshire, in the United States. Her mother was a nurse, and her father was employed by a charity called Easterseals where she grown up. Her older sister, Alim, manages her as well as financial advisor too.

Anok Eduction

Anok was a bright student of her college and learned biochemistry with the intention of being a doctor. She attended Plymouth State University prior to her career in modeling taking a life-altering path.

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A New Journey of Anok (Turning Point)

Anok’s career as a model started accidentally. At Howard University’s homecoming in 2017, a photographer named Steve “the SUNK” Hall snapped her photo. The image was posted online and immediately went viral, with tens of thousands of likes. That caught the attention of the best modeling agencies. Anok signed with Next Model Management, and her career accelerated.

Fashion Republic Magazine

Only four months after that, she made history: she was the second Black model, following Naomi Campbell, to open a Prada show. She was also the first Sudanese model to open for Prada.

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Rising Star in Fashion

From that moment, Anok Yai’s name became a staple in high fashion. She has walked for top brands like Versace, Fendi, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Max Mara. She has also appeared in so many campaigns for heavyweights such as Estée Lauder, Tiffany & Co., Nike, and Alexander Wang.

Her face has adorned the cover pages of numerous fashion magazines, including three times on American Vogue, British Vogue, Vogue Italy, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Dazed. Her poised figure and striking stride made her part of the fashion history.
Wikipedia

Industry watchers commend her extremely that She was voted Model of the Year in 2023 both by professionals and by supporters at Models.com. She is currently regarded as one of the “New Supers” from new generation.

Beyond the Runway

Anok’s impact goes beyond fashion. During a frank interview with ELLE, she shared about battling social anxiety and racism throughout her life as dark-skinned living in predominantly white society. But rather than concealing herself, she celebrated her uniqueness.

The modern Anok Yai

And now, Anok Yai is not only one of the top-earning models her net worth is approximately $9 million, according to some estimates. She continues to strut the most prominent catwalks, feature in prominent campaigns, and promote diversity in fashion.

Anok is also involved with her online community, giving us a sneak peek into her life, where she has traveled, and her views on culture, beauty, and identity. Her narrative resonates with many who look at themselves through her particularly young Black girls in search of someone who resembles them on the world’s biggest platforms.

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