Nyakim Gatwech, the South Sudanese model who challenged Beauty Standards

Growing up, she was bullied for her dark skin, but has now become an international sensation thanks to her stunning look and teachings about self-love. She is nicknamed the queen of darkness and yet she shines on the podiums of the whole world. Portrait of a black queen who illuminates the world of fashion.

Nyakim Gatwech is a young South Sudanese model who made headlines after she revealed an Uber driver offered her $10,000 to bleach her skin, insinuating that her complexion was something to be ashamed of. Her story went viral on social media, and ever since, she has been nicknamed the “Queen of the Dark”. She has become a woman that little girls look up to when, they too, are in search of self-love.

Born in Gambella, a border town of Ethiopia, her family comes from a South Sudanese village named Mawut. She is a descendant of nilotics, indigenous peoples of the Nile Valley, characterized by very dark skin. She fled the civil war in South Sudan with her family at the age of 14 to seek refuge in the United States. She lost two siblings along the way, but never gave up hope.

 

Source: Teenvogue