When it comes to great discovery stories, it’s hard to compete with Anok Yai. In a matter of weeks, the Sudanese newcomer has moved from an unknown face to becoming one of the Internet’s darlings, all thanks to a viral image. Busy studying biochemistry at Plymouth State University, Yai headed out to enjoy the famed homecoming weekend at Howard University in Washington D.C. only to be snapped for a street style image by the photographer Steven Hall, who shared it on his popular Instagram account, @thesunk. Quickly racking up more than 19,000 likes and garnering Yai thousands of new followers in the process, the image made an impression—one that Yai never considered when she posed for it. “I first saw the photo after my phone started getting the notifications,” she said.
Yai was curious about modeling but had no idea of how to to get her foot in the door. “I always was inclined to do art and fashion, but I didn't know how to get into the industry,” says Yai who can remember watching shows like America’s Next Top Model as a child and following fashion growing up. It seems appropriate, then, that her viral snap piqued the interest of one of modeling’s most influential, Kyle Hagler, the president of Next Management. In town to visit his own alma mater, the fellow historically black college Morehouse, Hagler received a fateful message from a friend. “What’s funny is when I was a teen in college, I would go to Howard’s homecoming a lot because they had a better football team and a cooler scene. We always drove up to D.C., so I was kind of watching Howard’s homecoming virtually,” says Hagler, who was struck by Yai’s runway-ready look and her book smarts. “Anok has something very special. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s intelligent and has a real understanding of community.”