Alek Wek Bio | Wiki
Alek Wek is a South Sudanese-British model and designer. She started her fashion career in 1995 at the age of 18. Alek has been hailed for her influence on the perception of beauty in the fashion industry. The model comes from the Dinka ethnic group in South Sudan. She fled to Britain in 1991 to escape the civil war in Sudan. Alek was listed as one of BBC’s 100 Women in 2015.
Alek Wek Age
She was born on April 16, 1977, in Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan). Alek is 45 years old.
Alek Wek Height
She is a woman of above-average stature. Alek stands at the height of 5 ft 11 in ( Approx 1.8 m).
Alek Wek Family
She was born to her parents in Wau in Sudan (now South Sudan), Alek is the seventh of nine children. Growing up, she and her family lived in a two-bedroom house without electricity or running water. Her mother Akuol was born in 1946 and was a housewife. Her father Athian was born in 1933 and died in 985. He was an education official. He once broke his hip in a bicycle accident, and his hip was repaired with metal pins.
Long periods of walking caused his hip to get infected. Alek’s name reportedly means “Black Spotted Cow”. The model suffered from the skin condition psoriasis from infancy until she was 14. After the civil war broke out in Wau in 1985, Alek and her family had to flee from both rebel and government forces. After the family returned to Wau, her father became paralyzed and endured a hemorrhage. Athian died at a relative’s home in Khartoum.
Alek Wek Husband | Riccardo Sala
The model was in a relationship with an Italian real estate developer called Riccardo Sala. They dated for twelve years before they parted ways in 2013. Alek is the aunt of runway model Ataui Deng. She lived in resided in Brooklyn, New York as of 2009.
Alek Wek Model | Supermodel
She has modeled for many notable fashion houses. Alek has appeared on the cover of French, American, German, and South African Elle. She has also appeared on the cover of i-D, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Forbes Magazine Africa, and Ebony. Alek has been featured in editorials in American and British Vogue. She made her acting debut in The Four Feathers in 2012 as Sudanese princess Aquol.
In 1999, Herb Ritts photographed Alek for a calendar in a Joanne Gair body painting that was a highlight of Gair’s first retrospective. Alek walked for Marc Jacobs at Spring/Summer 2016 New York Fashion Week in September 2015. She later appeared in the label’s Spring Summer 2016 campaign. Alek modeled for four special edition covers of Brazilian Elle in May 2016.
Alek Wek Throws Wig | Wig | Blonde Hair
She was waking in a Betsey Johnson runway show in 1998 when she threw off the blonde wig that she’d been styled in. Today, that moment has become a very literal symbol of rebelling against a European standard of beauty. the industry has seemed to have ‘taken all’ of Alek for the most part playing upon her distinct features. When it comes to her hair, she does not do Wigs, mohawks, braids, hats, flowers, turbans, scarves, or headpieces. Even when her natural hair grows a little bit longer, Alek straightens and slicks it back.
Alek Wek Betsey Johnson | Runway
During one of her catwalks, Alek threw off her blonde wig as a symbol of rebelling against a European standard of beauty. Alek was walking in a Betsey Johnson runway show in 1998. In an interview about the incident, Alek said “That wig was not just about me taking it off to make a scene. It was a time that I was just starting in fashion, to work. And the one thing that I told my agents was if you are going to represent me, I’m not going to be a gimmick and be in for a couple of seasons. You’re going to take it all or leave it.” In an interview with The Guardian in 2014, she was asked if she’s always found herself beautiful, Alek responded, “Oh yes, of course.”
Alek Wek Catwalk | Sudan
She released an autobiography titled Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel in 2007. The book documents Alek’s journey from a childhood of poverty in Sudan to the catwalks of Europe. The model appeared as a guest judge in the sixteenth cycle of America’s Next Top Model in 2011. Alek returned to South Sudan in 2012 with the UN Refugee Agency to highlight the stories of refugees returning from the north as well as the massive efforts needed to build and stabilize the country. She teamed up with Amarula in the same year as the face of their campaign African Originals.
Alek Wek Net Worth
She is a South Sudanese-British model and designer with an estimated net worth of $20 million.
How Old Is Alek Wek
Alek is 45 years old. She was born on April 16, 1977, in Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan).
Is Alek Wek Married
The model was in a relationship with an Italian real estate developer called Riccardo Sala. They dated for twelve years before they parted ways in 2013.
How Tall Is Alek Wek
She is a woman of above-average stature who stands at the height of 5 ft 11 in ( Approx 1.8 m).