It is official, 2017 was officially the year that models blessed with melanin took centre stage. There's nothing more important than owning your look and heritage, and flaunting your natural glow to the world. This year the fashion world seemed to finally take note. It's about time, right?
.@lupita_nyongo stars on the cover of our January issue! Read the full interview: https://t.co/XCEGMyv7TM pic.twitter.com/CChhkUtKwE
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) December 11, 2017
This month, Oscar-winning actress and all-round boss lady Lupita N'yongo scored her fourth Vogue cover for January's issue. We're going to let you know the black beauties who flexed their melanin and blew up in 2017. Check out the melanin-rich models smashing Eurocentric beauty standards one shot at a time.
Duckie
You might have heard of this girl! The Australian-South Sudanese beauty first got famous from Australia's Next Top Model, at just 17! Now 21, the model blew up through starring in a campaign for Rihanna's Fenty Beauty cosmetics line.
We just love this girl! Alongside Fenty Beauty, Duckie has starred in campaigns by Moschino, shoots in Bazaar and V Magazine, and is in Khalid's latest music video. We can't wait to see what she does in 2018!
Alek Wek
Alek Wek is another model with South Sudanese heritage who stunned this year. The British-South Sudanese model has been on the scene since 1995, and slaying all the way with dozens of campaigns from Gucci to Gap.
She has graced so many covers, and got her first solo cover for Vogue, stunning on the cover of its Ukraine edition. Just watch her pose and rock those Ukrainian colours!
This legendary lady might have a thing or two to teach the new girls! We're definitely keeping our eye on her as her long career just keeps going from strength to strength. Slay!
Adut Aketch
There's really something about South Sudan it seems! Adut Akech left the country as a refugee and moved to Australia with her family at the age of 7. Adut took the fashion world by storm and traded the classroom for the catwalk, closing Saint Lauren's SS17 Paris Fashion Week show last year at just 16!
The 17 year old has a big career ahead of her, we're sure! With friends like Naomi Campbell, as well as her stunning look and sheer talent, Adut is bound to go far!
Anok Yai
This is the face that launched a thousand hits! Our girl Anok Yai blew up this October. The Plymouth State University student was snapped at a weekend away to Howard University for a HBCU - that's Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Homecoming celebration.
Well, the internet got to work, and feeling her black girl magic, Anok was signed to Next Models just nine days later! She loves to rock her natural hair too, and here she is with model of the moment and fellow black beauty Duckie.
We wonder what she's going to do next, so much potential! We can see her taking the world by storm in 2018 too.
Ronis Aba
Ronis wasn't always so accepting of her natural melanin-made glow. The US-based model, via South Sudan and Egypt, said she used to be bullied for her skin tone. The 22 year old struggled with self-acceptance for years, before showing self-love on Twitter, and the internet couldn't get enough of her!
The way that chocolate looks against this yellow. Can't believe I ever hated this skin 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/fwVScPuSHw
— 🙃 (@pepahronis) September 16, 2017
She really flexes that glow in front of golden yellow! We love that once she found self-acceptance she really blew up. Ronis clearly inspired a lot of people and spreads the message that self-love really is the most important thing.
She's well on her way to becoming an icon, if you ask us!
We can't wait to see what these black beauties are going to achieve in the future. So inspiring! Who do you follow? Are there any black models that have reall inspired you?
Let us know in the comments below! And, as ever, join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube for more news, lifestyle, and fashion tips from Grass-fields!