In one of those scouting miracles, the kind of fabled exchange that saw Kate Moss discovered at JFK airport and Gisele Bündchen picked up while shopping in São Paulo, Anok Yai came into fashion. She was months from her 20th birthday, when in 2017 she attended a homecoming celebration at Howard University (Yai studied at Plymouth State University as a biochemistry major) and was snapped at random by Steve Hall. The photo would go on to garner thousands of likes, attracting the attention of agencies like IMG and Next, who she later signed with.
In the years since, Anok Yai has established herself as one of fashion's foremost faces. The Cairo-born, South Sudanese model was the first Black model to open for Prada since Naomi Campbell in 1997. She's a fixture of the runway and major magazines. Each one of her three Met Gala appearances has stoked something deep within – and don't get us started on her after party looks; the waist-cinching bodysuit she wore in 2022 is one for the history books.
Which is kind of why we're here. Anok Yai is proving that fashion, for her, continues long after she's stepped off a shoot. She's made off duty style her own, waltzing out of a New York City hotel the day after the 2023 Met Gala in a Poster Girl faux fur coat and a customised paisley bandana Birkin, serving looks even when the festivities fizzled out and the Neytt by Extraweave carpet had been rolled up. Below, we pay homage to the style of Anok Yai, a wardrobe exploding with cut out dresses, body-skimming silhouettes, the perfect cut baggy pant and an avalanche of accessories to get swept up in.
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Looking to drink in more style files from other RUSSH favourites like Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey, Sofia Coppola and Hope Sandoval? Fill your cup here.
