Anok Yai Is 2025 Model Of The Year - How One Viral Photo Led To This Moment

Anok Yai has once again captured the fashion world's attention as the British Fashion Council named her Model of the Year for 2025. The announcement comes ahead of The Fashion Awards 2025, presented by Pandora, set to take place on 1 December at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Yai's journey to this moment began with a single viral photo captured during a university homecoming weekend in 2017 — a moment that would change her life forever. From a spontaneous snapshot to runway royalty, here's everything you need to know about Anok Yai's remarkable rise in the fashion world.

The Viral Photo That Changed Everything

Born in Egypt to South Sudanese parents and raised in the United States, Anok Yai was 19 years old and studying biochemistry at Plymouth State University when her life changed dramatically.

In October 2017, while attending Howard University's homecoming in Washington, D.C., she was photographed by chance — a moment that would launch her modelling career overnight.

Street-style photographer Steven Hall spotted her at the end of Yardfest and snapped a quick photo. He later shared it on Instagram under his handle @thesunk, captioning it: 'Saw her right at the end of Yardfest. Stunning @anokyai.'

The photo quickly went viral.

In later interviews, Yai admitted she didn't understand the sudden attention, saying she thought it was 'an average photo'.

'At first, I questioned what everyone was seeing because I didn't really see it,' she said.

But that single viral moment opened doors she never imagined. Within days, several modelling agencies reached out to her — including Kyle Hagler, president of Next Management, one of the industry's most influential figures.

Yai had always been drawn to art and fashion, though she didn't know how to begin. 'I always was inclined to do art and fashion, but I didn't know how to get into the industry,' she shared, recalling how she grew up watching America's Next Top Model and following fashion trends.

Still, she had set aside that dream to pursue a career in medicine, hoping to inspire young girls to explore science and technology. 'I knew that I'd be able to help people, and that's my overall goal in life,' she said.

From Dreaming in New York to Dominating Paris

Growing up, Yai and her sister often imagined themselves chasing opportunities in fashion — dashing between castings in New York and walking the runways of Paris. Though people frequently told her she was beautiful enough to model, the faces she saw in magazines seldom looked like hers. Most were white or light-skinned, leaving her uncertain whether there was a place for her in that world.

'When I was younger, I was insecure about my skin because I looked up to people in the media and, though I looked up to the Black women, I never saw Black women that were as dark as me,' she said.

She added, 'When people called me "exotic", I worried that the modelling world would see me as just another passing trend,' Yai told The Washington Post. 'My fear was being able to stand out because there are so many girls modelling, and the industry is always changing.'

As a dark-skinned Black woman, Yai has since spoken openly about the responsibility she feels to challenge colourism in the fashion industry.

A Role Model for the Next Generation

Stressing the importance of representation, Yai hopes her visibility will help drive lasting change. 'I definitely want to be a role model for young dark-skinned girls and girls in general — I want to bring to light ideas of self-love and self-confidence,' she said. 'I am so excited about where this will take me, and I'm happy because I can do what I am passionate about.'

Less than a year after the viral photo, Yai proved those fears wrong — opening a Prada show in 2019 and becoming only the second Black woman ever to do so, following Naomi Campbell.

Since then, she has continued to dominate the industry, gracing the cover of Vogue France in 2025 and fronting campaigns for major fashion houses including Versace, Alaïa, and Saint Laurent. She also remains the face of Mugler's Alien fragrance, further cementing her place as one of fashion's defining figures of her generation.

A Crowned Career — and a Message of Resilience

Now named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council for The Fashion Awards 2025, Yai reflected on the honour, saying, 'Being named Model of the Year is such an honour. My journey — from Egypt to South Sudan to the US — is one of resilience and community. This recognition is for everyone who's ever seen their story in mine. Thank you for celebrating us.'

Today, Yai stands among the most in-demand models in the world — a powerful reminder of how one spontaneous photo can spark a career that continues to inspire millions.