From Anok Yai to Bimpe Onakoya, African women are beating faces, strutting the fashion weeks and putting the continent on the map
Growing up, I always dreamt of being a model — strutting at international fashion weeks and representing fashion designers. Did I eventually become a model? No, but what I lacked in height, I made up for in brains. Turns out, the universe had better plans for me — like writing about African women dominating the four fashion capitals of the world.
Fashion season is one of our favourite times of the year, and with the Couture week just wrapping up, we are looking forward to Spring/Summer 2026 collections in the next few months. What’s more exciting is the representation Africa is having at these international fashion weeks. From the runway to the glam chair, African creatives are shifting the standard of what fashion and beauty look like on the world’s biggest stages.
Read also: (The Nigerian designers who graced the London Fashion Week AW25 runway)
Africa is taking over international fashion weeks
Fashion week might be global, but African talent is impossible to ignore. African women aren’t just ticking the diversity box anymore — they’re opening shows, leading campaigns, and setting the pace. This isn’t just inclusion; it is impact.
Let’s start with the models representing Africa at international fashion weeks, commanding runways and making every step a statement.
Walking art — Anok Yai makes a statement with every strut
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With high cheekbones, rich skin tone, and fierce walk, Sudanese top model, Anok Yai doesn’t just walk runways; she owns them. The second Black model to open a Prada show after Naomi Campbell, Anok is now a runway staple and campaign muse.
Born in Egypt after her family fled genocide in Sudan, Anok Yai gained fame in 2018 after a photographer posted her photo on Instagram and immediately caught the attention of the fashion & beauty industries. Agencies swarmed in, and Anok seized the moment — assembling a strong team and launching her modelling career.
Anok wears high fashion like it was made for her because, honestly, it was. “When I first got introduced into the fashion industry, I could have easily been a flash in the pan – and I’m sure that’s what many were expecting, but right away I decided that I was going to do everything I could to become a powerhouse,” she said in a Forbes interview.
Now, this powerhouse slays on and off the runways and is a delight to see on the red carpet. Her 2023 Met Gala look, amongst others, cemented her status as a fashion icon. Anok’s most unforgettable runway moment came during Paris Fashion Week SS25, at Vetements. The bridal gown she wore caught on her heel at the finals, and she turned it into a sprint. This queen seized the stormy moment and turned the flop into art. The internet dubbed it “the runway bride”. That instinctive survival flair showcased not just professionalism but her star quality.
Naija to the world — Mayowa Nicholas, graceful, elegant and owning the runways
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Mayowa brings both elegance and resilience to every runway. She burst onto the scene by winning the Elite Model Look Nigeria contest in 2014. Frm there on, she took the international fashion weeks by storm with appearances for Chanel, Balmain, Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga, amongst others. She is the first Nigerian model to star in Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, and Calvin Klein campaigns.
Her 2020 moment with Balmain captured her essence perfectly: Mayowa stepped out in a shimmering ivory blazer under Rousteing’s signature moody lighting, and she didn’t need theatrics to stand out.
Mayowa’s path to this poise wasn’t always smooth. Early in her career, post Elite Model win, she faced rejection, yet she refused to change her identity. That resilience led her to walking Victoria’s Secret in 2018 even after experiencing visa rejection in 2017 that prevented her from walking the show. A top pick at international fashion weeks, Mayowa is currently ranked as one model.com’s Top 50.
Maty Fall, an undeniable force in fashion weeks
Maty Fall Diba fuses West African grace and European finesse with every step she takes. Born in Dakar, Senegal, in 2001 and raised in Italy from age nine, her story began when IMG Models discovered her through their scouting portal. In her debut season, Spring/Summer 2020, she opened for Saint Laurent and closed for Valentino, instantly marking her as a runway must-watch.
Maty’s momentum hasn’t slowed. She’s walked for powerhouses like Dior (closing the Resort 2021 show), Missoni, Blumarine, and Max Mara. She has also graced magazine covers multiple times. She’s also listed among the Top 50 models on models.com, a testament to her lasting impact in the industry.
While models hold the spotlight, the backstage is where the real beauty magic happens. These African makeup artists are shaping global beauty standards one stroke at a time at international fashion weeks.
Africa’s beauty maestro — Bimpe Onakoya setting the standard at international fashion weeks
Before African makeup artists were a regular presence backstage at international fashion weeks, Bimpe Onakoya had already kicked the door open. She began her career in 2001 and became the first African-based MUA to work behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week in 2014. She showed up and made space for others to follow. Her artistry has graced the faces of icons like Alek Wek, Jourdan Dunn, and Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi, with credits at major shows like DKNY, Lacoste, and more.
Founder of Elite Makeup Pro and current artistic director for Maybelline Nigeria, Bimpe continues to champion beauty that doesn’t leave melanin behind. Her signature? Skin that looks like skin — glowing, even-toned, and real — paired with bold, expressive eye looks that draw on African influences. In a world where dark skin is often an afterthought, Bimpe Onakoya’s work insists it be the standard.
Read also: (GRWM with Deaola Sagoe and Teni Sagoe for our cover shoot)
Aminata Kamara — the textured hair powerhouse rewriting runways
Hair styling is as important as any other glam process during fashion week, especially for African hair. Aminata Kamara isn’t just styling hair; she’s transforming backstage culture. As a London-based textured-hair specialist, she’s stepped onto the global stage with high-fashion houses like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Prada during Fashion Weeks in London, Milan, New York, and Paris.
Raised by her mum and grandmother, who migrated to the UK from Sierra Leone, Aminata work went viral at the Dior Couture Fall/Winter 2024. She made her coronagrown, center‑parted cornrows after lead stylist Guido Palau tapped her to nail a sleek, looped updo. This wasn’t just a look; it marked a turning point: textured hair as runway-defining and unapologetically elevated.
Through masterclasses and advocacy, she’s not only creating powerful looks but also raising standards, insisting that textured hair be handled with care, precision, and pride. In her hands, hair becomes more than an accessory; it becomes a statement of identity, culture, and belonging.
We’re not just the moment — we’re the blueprint
Through these powerful women, African beauty is being centred at international fashion weeks. For years, the idea of African beauty creatives and models taking over international fashion weeks felt far off. We celebrated the “exceptions” that came ever so rarely. Now, we are shaping conversations and setting standards globally.
African excellence is being seen and heard in the way Bimpe Onakoya layers foundation like a love letter to melanin. In Valerie Lawson’s quiet precision of making Black skin glow without apology. In every determined step Anok, Mayowa, and Maty take on the runway. These women travel the world, leaving their marks in their work. They are the blueprint, and we are always rooting for them.
