Alek Wek

Early life

She was born the seventh of nine children in Wau in Southern Sudan in 1977. The exact date is unknown. When she was preparing to emigrate from Sudan, her mother picked the date April 16, which occurs in the rainy season during which she was born. She says her name means “Black Spotted Cow”.

Early career

Wek was discovered at an outdoor market in London in 1995 in Crystal Palace, south London, by a Models 1 scout. She first received attention when she appeared in the music video for “GoldenEye” by Tina Turner, in 1995 and from there entered the world of fashion as one of its top models. She was signed to Ford Models in 1996 and was also seen 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.

Advertising and catwalks

Amongst other things she has done advertisements for Issey Miyake, Moschino, Victoria’s Secret and make-up company Clinique as well as walked the runway for high-profile fashion designers John Galliano, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Ermanno Scervino. In 2002 she made her acting debut in The Four Feathers as Sudanese princess Aquol.

In Herb Ritts photographed her for a 1999 calendar in a Joanne Gair body painting that was a highlight of Gair’s first retrospective.

Wek has also been a guest on both Tyra Banks’ show and “Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.”

Designer

Wek also designs a range of designer handbags called “Wek 1933”, which are available throughout selected Selfridges department stores. The year refers to the year her father was born. Her inspiration for the designs came from the brass-clasp briefcase carried by her father.

Campaigning

She is a member of the U.S. Committee for Refugees’ Advisory Council and is helping to raise awareness about the situation in Sudan, as well as the plight of refugees worldwide. She can base this on her own experience as a refugee, fleeing the war in her country of birth.

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.

References

^ a b “BBC – Radio 4 Woman’s Hour -Alek Wek”. www.bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2007_45_thu.shtml. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 

^ “Tavis Smiley . Archives . Alek Wek . August 30, 2007”. www.pbs.org. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200708/20070830_wek.html. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 

^ “Couture carryall: fashion model Alek Wek designs luxury handbags”. findarticles.com. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_2_37/ai_n26981440. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 

^ http://www.stevedow.com.au/Default.aspx?id=319

^ http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/alekwek/

External links

Vogue

Alek Wek at Fashion Model Directory

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Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show models (20002009)

2000

Alessandra Ambrosio  Mini Anden  Danita Angell  Tyra Banks  Gisele Bndchen  Naomi Campbell  Laetitia Casta  Aurlie Claudel  Haylynn Cohen  Rhea Durham  Trish Goff  Eva Herzigov  Carmen Kass  Heidi Klum  Karolna Kurkov  Adriana Lima  Angela Lindvall  Ana Cludia Michels  Karen Mulder  Oluchi Onweagba  Daniela Petov  Frankie Rayder  Caroline Ribeiro  Ins Rivero  Stephanie Seymour  Ingrid Seynhaeve  Fernanda Tavares

2001

Alessandra Ambrosio  Mini Anden  Tyra Banks  Gisele Bndchen  Aurlie Claudel  Rhea Durham  Karen Elson  Trish Goff  Bridget Hall  Emma Heming  Eva Herzigov  Heidi Klum  Karolna Kurkov  Anouck Lepere  Adriana Lima  Audrey Marnay  Dina Mszros  Omahyra Mota  Daniela Petov  Rie Rasmussen  Caroline Ribeiro  Ins Rivero  Maggie Rizer  Molly Sims  Fernanda Tavares  Alek Wek

2002

Michelle Alves  Alessandra Ambrosio  Caitriona Balfe  Tyra Banks  Ana Beatriz Barros  Letcia Birkheuer  Gisele Bndchen  Naomi Campbell  Dewi Driegen  Reka Ebergenyi  Lindsay Frimodt  Bridget Hall  Ana Hickmann  Carmen Kass  Liya Kebede  Heidi Klum  Karolna Kurkov  Adriana Lima  Oluchi Onweagba  Ujjwala Raut  Frankie Rayder  Caroline Ribeiro  Inga Savita  Nadine Strittmatter  Yfke Sturm  Fernanda Tavares  Eugenia Volodina  Raquel Zimmermann

2003

Michelle Alves  Alessandra Ambrosio  Mini Anden  Tyra Banks  Ana Beatriz Barros  Letcia Birkheuer  Marcelle Bittar  Gisele Bndchen  Naomi Campbell  Dewi Driegen  Isabeli Fontana  Lindsay Frimodt  Carmen Kass  Liya Kebede  Heidi Klum  Karolna Kurkov  Adriana Lima  Angela Lindvall  Deanna Miller  Oluchi Onweagba  Ujjwala Raut  Frankie Rayder  Margarita Svegzdaite  Fernanda Tavares  Eugenia Volodina  Jacquetta Wheeler

2004

(canceled)

2005

Alessandra Ambrosio  Tyra Banks  Bianca Balti  Ana Beatriz Barros  Gisele Bndchen  Inguna Butane  Naomi Campbell  Morgane Dubled  Selita Ebanks  Isabeli Fontana  Izabel Goulart  Heidi Klum  Tatiana Kovylina  Doutzen Kroes  Karolna Kurkov  Adriana Lima  Angela Lindvall  Andi Muise  Oluchi Onweagba  Natasha Poly  Julia Stegner  Yfke Sturm  Fernanda Tavares  Caroline Trentini  Eugenia Volodina  Marija Vujovi  Caroline Winberg  Raquel Zimmermann

2006

Alessandra Ambrosio  Ana Beatriz Barros  Gisele Bndchen  Jesa Chiminazzo  lise Crombez  Flavia de Oliveira  Morgane Dubled  Selita Ebanks  Izabel Goulart  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley  Miranda Kerr  Doutzen Kroes  Karolna Kurkov  Adriana Lima  Angela Lindvall  Heather Marks  Andi Muise  Ajuma Nasenyana  Oluchi Onweagba  Natasha Poly  Katja Shchekina  Hana Soukupov  Jessica Stam  Julia Stegner  Caroline Trentini  Caroline Winberg  Raquel Zimmermann

2007

Alessandra Ambrosio  Inguna Butane  lise Crombez  Flavia de Oliveira  Morgane Dubled  Selita Ebanks  Lindsay Ellingson  Isabeli Fontana  Izabel Goulart  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley  Miranda Kerr  Heidi Klum  Michaela Kocianova  Karolna Kurkov  Nomie Lenoir  Adriana Lima  Angela Lindvall  Marisa Miller  Andi Muise  Oluchi Onweagba  Behati Prinsloo  Hana Soukupov  Jessica Stam  Julia Stegner  Candice Swanepoel  Eugenia Volodina  Marija Vujovi  Erin Wasson  Jessica White  Katie Wile  Caroline Winberg

2008

Clara Alonso  Alessandra Ambrosio  Ana Beatriz Barros  Inguna Butane  Shannan Click  Emanuela de Paula  Flavia de Oliveira  Morgane Dubled  Selita Ebanks  Lindsay Ellingson  Isabeli Fontana  Izabel Goulart  Erin Heatherton  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley  Carmen Kass  Miranda Kerr  Heidi Klum  Doutzen Kroes  Karolna Kurkov  Abbey Lee  Nomie Lenoir  Adriana Lima  Maryna Linchuk  Angela Lindvall  Sessilee Lopez  Marisa Miller  Arlenis Sosa  Behati Prinsloo  Julia Stegner  Sarah Stephens  Lara Stone  Candice Swanepoel  Edita Vilkeviit  Anne Vyalitsyna  Caroline Winberg

2009

Lily Aldridge  Alessandra Ambrosio  Ana Beatriz Barros  Kylie Bisutti  Shannan Click  Jaime Lee Darley  Selita Ebanks  Lindsay Ellingson  Isabeli Fontana  Izabel Goulart  Erin Heatherton  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley  Chanel Iman  Anna Jagodzinska  Dorothea Barth Jorgensen  Miranda Kerr  Heidi Klum  Abbey Lee  Tatiana Kovylina  Doutzen Kroes  Anastasia Kuznetsova  Maryna Linchuk  Sessilee Lopez  Enik Mihalik  Marisa Miller  Aminata Niaria  Behati Prinsloo  Anja Rubik  Lyndsey Scott  Julia Stegner  Candice Swanepoel  Elyse Taylor  Caroline Trentini  Edita Vilkeviit  Liu Wen  Caroline Winberg

19951999  20002009

* Did not appear in show according to some sources

Categories: Sudanese female models | Alumni of the London College of Fashion | 1977 births | Living people | Dinka peopleHidden categories: BLP articles lacking sources | Articles lacking reliable references from February 2009 | All articles lacking sources

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