From Refugee to Runway Model: Adut Akech

Adut Akech’s rise to fame epitomizes the rags to riches narrative. Born fleeing South Sudan and growing up in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, Adut’s childhood does not mirror the glamorous life she leads now. Eventually, Adut and her family left the refugee camp, moving to Australia where she first walked down the runway. Adut hasn’t looked back since.

While she has clearly made it far from her modest upbringing, Adut remains humble; her poise and positivity have brought her a long way. In her acceptance speech after being awarded Model of the Year for the 2019 British Fashion Awards, Adut proudly said, “Because if a little dark skin South Sudanese refugee who comes from absolutely nothing can do it, so can you.” Now that’s powerful.

Adut realizes she has a powerful voice as a young Black woman in fashion who “came from nothing”: the supermodel is proud of her past and uses her platform to educate and empower refugees and young women. She does this by actively working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help refugees reclaim their life.

Even after first experiencing major success in the fashion world in 2016 after her debut at Saint Laurent, Adut remained dedicated to school. Because of her upbringing, Adut’s mother placed a heavy emphasis on school. According to Vogue, Adut promised her mother that she would finish school and buy her a house and a car. Even when Adut was walking the runways in Paris, she studied in between photoshoots and flights. Talk about juggling school and extracurriculars!

Adut has walked at shows for Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Prada, Saint Laurent, and Versace, just to name a few. She has shot campaigns for Fendi, Moschino, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Versace, and more. Adut has additionally been featured on Vogue covers for the United States, England, Italy, Paris and Korea.

Adut has clearly made it far from her roots in a refugee camp, and she’s even made some friends along the way! She considers the iconic fashion model Naomi Campell to be her “second mom” who has guided her throughout her fashion journey.

If we can learn anything from Adut, it is to pursue your dreams no matter what, without forgetting where you came from.