After years of seeing a woman go viral on Twitter during Howard University’s homecoming in October 2017 to becoming a fashion icon, Anok Yai has finally won Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council (BFC).
To non-fashion people, this is like when Simone Biles won a gold medal during the Paris Olympics.
Model of the Year, according to BFC, “Recognises the global impact of a model who over the last 12 months has dominated the industry. With an influence that transcends the catwalk, the Model of The Year has made an outstanding contribution to the industry, garnering numerous editorial and advertising campaigns throughout the year.” Previous winners of the award include Alex Consani in 2024, Paloma Elsesser in 2023, Bella Hadid in 2022, and Naomi Campbell in 2017.
In 2023 and 2024, most people believed her to be snubbed of the award. Finally, she has been recognized for her hard work. In 2023, Yai walked more than 60 shows during the span of multiple fashion weeks, adding to a career total of 310 shows. Notable moments from her career so far include Mugler SS24, Vetements SS25, Versace 2025, and her British Vogue February 2022 cover. Keep in mind the average model walks about 25 to 30 shows on average in a year — Anok doubled that. She has proven herself time and time again to be a marketable and talented figure in fashion, a modern-day super in the industry.
In an industry where non-white, especially Black models have to work harder than their white counterparts, this moment feels more bittersweet than anything. She deserves this award in general. However, I feel as though Yai has been constantly overlooked and believe she deserved this award last year or the year prior because she has become such a staple in the fashion world, whilst also creating a global impact that the BFC is looking for. This isn’t to take away from the previous winners as their wins are notable for various reasons; Elsesser became the first full figure model to win, and Consani would become the first trans-model to hold the title. Despite this, you can’t help but feel for Yai — in 2024, she would make a post to Twitter in which she expressed her frustration to the British Fashion Council, stating, “Thank you, but I don’t want it anymore.”
Apart from this, Yai has become more vocal in addressing her discomfort with the fashion industry as it frequently exoticizes Black women and takes from Black culture whilst trafficking in career-crushing racism, colorism, and discrimination. So when taken from this viewpoint, Yai’s disappointment should not be taken at face value, but rather be viewed as much deeper than what it seems.
Overall, I am happy for Yai for finally winning this achievement, but I can’t help but look deeper into this after paying attention for so long.
