Alek Wek
Alek Wek (born 16 April 1977) is a South Sudanese–British model and designer who began her fashion career at the age of 18 in 1995. She has been hailed for her influence on the perception of beauty in the fashion industry. She is from the Dinka ethnic group in South Sudan, but fled to Britain in 1991 to escape the civil war in Sudan.
Alek Wek

The Heart Truth · originally posted to Flickr as Alek Wek, Red Dress Collection 2007 · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Alek Wek
- Born
- 16 April 1977
- Birthplace
- Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan)
- Occupation
- Model, Actress
- Nationality
- South Sudan · Sweden · United Kingdom
- Education
- London College of Fashion
- Honours
- BBC 100 Women
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Alek Wek (born 16 April 1977) is a South Sudanese–British model and designer who began her fashion career at the age of 18 in 1995. She has been hailed for her influence on the perception of beauty in the fashion industry. She is from the Dinka ethnic group in South Sudan, but fled to Britain in 1991 to escape the civil war in Sudan.
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Note VALÉORINE
Alek Wek (born 1977) is an actor, actress and fashion model, among other activities, a national of South Sudan and Sweden. The actor was born in Wau. Alek Wek was educated at London College of Fashion.
Languages used include English. Honours include BBC 100 Women.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Authority files
wikidata · Q239508 · wikipedia · Alek Wek
In this article
Biography
Biography
In 2015, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.

Model Alek Wek. Alek Wek
Eduardo Sciammarella · Flickr
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Alek Wek • Born — 16 April 1977 • Birthplace — Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan) • Haircolour — Dark brown • Eyecolour — Brown • Partner — Riccardo Sala (2001–2013) • Occupation — Model, Actress • Years Active — 1995–present • Agency — * IMG Models (New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Sydney) • d'management group (Milan) • Storm Management (London) • Mega Model Agency (Hamburg) Alek Wek (born 16 April 1977) is a South Sudanese–British model and designer who began her fashion career at the age of 18 in 1995. She has been hailed for her influence on the perception of beauty in the fashion industry. She is from the Dinka ethnic group in South Sudan, but fled to Britain in 1991 to escape the civil war in Sudan. In 2015, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.
Early life
Early life
Alek was born 16 April 1977 in Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan), in a two-bedroom house without electricity or running water, and is the seventh of nine children. Her mother Akuol (b. 1946) was a housewife, and her father Athian (1933–1985) was an education official. Her name reportedly means "Black Spotted Cow". When the civil war broke out in Wau in 1985, the Wek family had to flee from both rebel and government forces. Her father Athian once broke his hip in a bicycle accident, and his hip was repaired with metal pins. Long periods of walking caused Athian's hip to get infected, and upon the family's return to Wau, he became paralysed and endured a haemorrhage. He died at a relative's home in Khartoum.
Beginnings
Beginnings
After arriving in London at age 14, Alek's psoriasis immediately cleared. She enrolled in the London College of Fashion and studied Fashion Business and Technology. Alek was discovered at an outdoor market in 1995 in Crystal Palace, London by a Models 1 scout. She appeared in the music video for "GoldenEye" by Tina Turner that year, and shortly thereafter began fashion modeling. She was signed to Ford Models in 1996 and also appeared in the "Got 'Til It's Gone" music video by Janet Jackson that year. She was named "Model of the Year" in 1997 by MTV, and was the first African model to appear on the cover of Elle that year.
Modelling
Modelling
Alek has modelled for many notable fashion houses. She has appeared on the cover of American, French, German and South African Elle as well as i-D, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Forbes Magazine Africa and Ebony. She has also been featured in editorials in American and British Vogue. In 2002 she made her acting debut in The Four Feathers as Sudanese princess Aquol. Herb Ritts photographed her for a 1999 calendar in a Joanne Gair body painting that was a highlight of Gair's first retrospective. In September 2015 Alek walked for Marc Jacobs at Spring/Summer 2016 New York Fashion Week, later appearing in the label's Spring Summer 2016 campaign. In May 2016, she modelled for four special edition covers of Brazilian Elle.
Image
Image
Dark-skinned models were rare, if not unheard of, in the high fashion industry. As a result, Alek's mainstream success was celebrated by black women all over the world. Oprah Winfrey commented that "if Alek had been on the cover of a magazine when I was growing up, I would have had a different concept of who I was." In a speech on beauty and self-perception, Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o stated that she had been a self-conscious, insecure teenager before seeing Alek in the spotlight: "When I saw Alek, I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny. Now, I had a spring in my step because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the far-away gatekeepers of beauty".
Designing
Designing
Alek also designs a range of designer handbags called "Wek 1933", which are available throughout selected Selfridges department stores. The name refers to the year her father was born. Her inspiration for the designs came from the brass-clasp briefcase carried by her father.
Campaigning
Campaigning
Since 2002 Alek has been an advisor to the U.S. Committee for Refugees Advisory Council, which helps to raise awareness about the situation in Sudan, as well as the plight of refugees worldwide. She is a missionary for World Vision, an organisation which combats AIDS, an ambassador for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan, and devotes time to UNICEF. In 2007 she released an autobiography, entitled Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel, documenting her journey from a childhood of poverty in Sudan to the catwalks of Europe. In 2011 she appeared as a guest judge in the sixteenth cycle of America's Next Top Model. In July 2012 she returned to South Sudan with the UN Refugee Agency to highlight the stories of refugees returning from the north and the massive efforts needed to build and stabilise the country. In 2012, Alek teamed up with Amarula as the face of their campaign African Originals.
Personal life
Personal life
As of 2009 Wek resided in Brooklyn, New York. She was in a relationship with Riccardo Sala, an Italian real estate developer, for twelve years; they separated in 2013. She is the aunt of the runway model Ataui Deng.
Filmography
Filmography
Music videos • Year — Title — Artist — Role || Note • 1995 — GoldenEye — Tina Turner — Herself • 1997 — Got 'Til It's Gone — Janet Jackson — Herself • 2025 — Gorgeous — Doja Cat — Herself Television • Year — Title — Role || Notes • 2011 — America's Next Top Model — Herself — Guest Judge • 2011 — Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model — Herself — Guest Judge Film • Year — Title — Role || Note • 2002 — The Four Feathers — Aquol — Film Debut • 2018 — Suspiria — Miss Millius
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Articles.baltimoresun.com. Refugee from Sudan takes runways by storm. 9 January 1997.
- 2.bbc.co.uk. BBC – Radio 4 Woman's Hour -Alek Wek.
- 3.BBC 100 Women 2015: Who is on the list?. BBC News. 17 November 2015.
- 4.Designs for living – Alek Wek takes fashion to the max. Financial Times. 1 September 2021.
- 5.PBS. Tavis Smiley . Archives . Alek Wek . August 30, 2007.
- 6.Alek Wek on the Moments That Defined Her Trailblazing Career in Modeling. Vogue. 20 October 2020.
- 7.Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. South Sudanese supermodel Alek Wek appointed UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador. UNHCR.
- 8.Alek Wek – Fashion Model – Profile.
- 9.Fun Black Fashion Fact: Alek Wek on November 1997 Elle Magazine.
- 10.The Four Feathers. Salon.com.
- 11.Herrick, Linda. Joanne Gair's designs on celebrities. The New Zealand Herald. 10 December 2001.
- 12.Vogue.com. Marc Jacobs Had the Most Exciting Cast at New York Fashion Week. 17 September 2015.
- 13.Gundan, Farai. Supermodel Alek Wek on the Business of Fashion, Being The Face of Refugees And Life After The Runway. Forbes.
- 14.Lupita Nyong'o Speech on Black Beauty Essence Black Women. YouTube. March 2014.
- 15.Lupita Nyong'o: 'There is no shame in black beauty'. New York Daily News. 28 February 2014.
- 16.Campbell, Denise. Couture carryall: fashion model Alek Wek designs luxury handbags. Black Enterprise. 37. 2. 2006.
- 17.Stevedow.com.au. Steve Dow, journalist. 25 January 2013.
- 18.Hellomagazine.com. Alek Wek profile: news, photos, style, videos and more – HELLO! Online. 31 December 2000.
- 19.AskMen. Alek Wek.
- 20.Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel
- 21.Bluekeyblog.org. Alek Wek's Journey Home. 3 July 2012.
- 22.Alek Wek – Model Profile. Models.com.
- 23.Alek Wek; Much More Than a Pretty Face.
- 24.nymag.com. Meet The New Girl. 22 October 2008.
- 25.Lawrence, Calynn M. Model Millionaires: Alek Wek. www.allmyfriendsaremodels.com. 12 April 2016.
- 26.Filmography by TV series for Alek Wek. Internet Movie Database.
- 27.Desta, Yohanna. Don't Watch the Suspiria Trailer If You Want to Sleep Tonight. Vanity Fair. 23 August 2018.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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