While many young girls were still playing dress up on the brink of their teenage years, Alek Wek and her family were forced to flee their homeland of the Sudan. But Alek persevered and is one of today's most recognizable models.
Residence:
Hometown: Wau, Sudan
Height: 5'11"
Eye Color: Brown
Date of Birth: April 16, 1977
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While many young girls were still playing dress up on the brink of their teenage years, Alek Wek and her family were forced to flee their homeland of the Sudan. During the civil war between the north and the south, Alek escaped from her home in Wau to the safer environs of England in 1991. Though her official birthday is unknown, Alek's mom chose April 16, 1977—a date in the rainy season—to be her birthday.
It was London that first gave Alek a taste of the modeling world. One day while she was out shopping at a market, a scout from Models 1 stopped her, and history was made. In just a year, Alek was awarded Model of the Year by MTV and Model of the Decade by i-D.
Over the years, Alek has modeled for top designers like Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Dries van Noten, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Fendi, and was even featured in the all-black issue of Vogue Italia.
But Alek is certainly not just a model. Over the years, she published her biography, Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel; created a line of handbags, Wek 1933, which are sold at Selfridges; and honed her acting skills for the role of the Sudanese princess Aquol in the film The Four Feathers. And appropriately, Alek gives back to her roots. She's taken her experience as a refugee and turned it into a positive light, acting as a member of the U.S. Committee for Refugees' Advisory Council to open the minds of others to the struggles of those in need.
