My Take
I'll never get tired of Anok Yai's origin story: one candid photo snapped at a Howard University homecoming in 2017 goes viral, and suddenly this Egypt-born, New Hampshire-raised college kid is the most talked-about new face in fashion. What I love is that she didn't just ride the buzz, she built on it, and opening a Prada show as the second Black model to do so after Naomi Campbell is no small footnote, it's history. Those cheekbones and that runway walk get the headlines, but I'm honestly more impressed by how fast she went from internet sensation to genuine industry fixture. There's a quiet confidence to her, and watching her stack Vogue covers feels less like luck and more like she was always supposed to be there.
Overview
Anok Yai ( ə-NOK; born December 20, 1997) is an American fashion model. She is the second Black model, after Naomi Campbell, to open a Prada show. She has made several appearances on Vogue covers, including American Vogue three times. TIME named her one of the 100 most influential in world in 2026.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Anok Yai
- Name (Japanese)
- アノック・ヤイ
- Reading
- あのっく・やい
- Born
- December 20, 1997 (age 28)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Ox
- Origin
- Cairo, Egypt
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- model
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Manchester High School West
- University
- Plymouth State University
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.