Before the 2000s, there were only a few black faces gracing the covers of fashion magazines and strutting popular runways. Models like Beverly Johnson, Noami Campbell, Iman, and Tyra Banks were the prominent black names ruling the fashion industry and setting the pace for the future of black models.
In recent seasons, we have witnessed a great rise of black models and how they are taking the modeling industry by storm. People have even argued that the continued advocacy by change-makers, as well as the 2020 Black Lives Matters movement, have helped shape the fashion industry into embracing more African models or at least trying to be more diverse and inclusive.
It’s been a long time coming and we are glad black models can now live their dreams of becoming supermodels despite their skin color. So, in this post, we are spotlighting those models who are yet to get your attention and models who have broken into the modeling world and have slowly begun to make their mark. Whether on the catwalk or the street, they need to be seen and cheered on — because black is beautiful.
Ahead, keep reading for the 26 African international models we can’t wait to see in the coming fashion weeks.
1. Victoria Fawole
Victoria Fawole is certainly a face to watch for. She broke into the international modeling scene in the early phase of 2021 and before the end of the year, she was already everywhere on the catwalk. So far, Fawole has walked for prestigious labels such as Prada, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Raf Simons, Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant, Hermes, and Max Mara, just to name a few. The Nigerian native who was discovered through Anani Model Management has also been featured in many campaigns, further proving what the future holds for the short-haired model.