Editing Alek Wek (section)

==Career==
===Beginnings===
After arriving in London at age 14, Alek's psoriasis immediately cleared. She enrolled in the [[London College of Fashion]] and studied Fashion Business and Technology.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Refugees |first=United Nations High Commissioner for |title=South Sudanese supermodel Alek Wek appointed UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador |url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2013/6/51c010bf9/south-sudanese-supermodel-alek-wek-appointed-unhcr-national-goodwill-ambassador.html |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=UNHCR |language=en}}</ref>

Alek was discovered at an outdoor market in 1995 in [[Crystal Palace, London]]<ref name="bbcr4" /> by a Models 1 scout. She appeared in the music video for "[[GoldenEye (song)|GoldenEye]]" by [[Tina Turner]] that year, and shortly thereafter began fashion modeling. She was signed to [[Ford Models]] in 1996<ref name="baltimoresun1997"/> and also appeared in the "[[Got 'Til It's Gone]]" music video by [[Janet Jackson]] that year. She was named "Model of the Year" in 1997 by [[MTV]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nymag.com/fashion/models/awek/alekwek/|title=Alek Wek – Fashion Model – Profile|access-date=18 February 2020|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423005013/https://nymag.com/fashion/models/awek/alekwek/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was the first African model to appear on the cover of ''[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]'' that year.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://fashionbombdaily.com/2009/02/02/fun-black-fashion-fact-alek-wek-on-november-1997-elle-magazine/|title= Fun Black Fashion Fact: Alek Wek on November 1997 Elle Magazine|access-date= 3 August 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120531160700/http://fashionbombdaily.com/2009/02/02/fun-black-fashion-fact-alek-wek-on-november-1997-elle-magazine/|archive-date= 31 May 2012|url-status= dead}}</ref>

===Modelling===
Alek has modelled for many notable fashion houses.<ref name=":0" /> She has appeared on the cover of American, French, German and South African ''[[Elle magazine|Elle]]'' as well as ''[[i-D Magazine|i-D]]'', ''[[Cosmopolitan magazine|Cosmopolitan]]'', ''[[Glamour magazine|Glamour]]'', ''Forbes Magazine Africa'' and ''[[Ebony magazine|Ebony]]''. She has also been featured in editorials in American and British ''[[Vogue magazine|Vogue]]''. In 2002 she made her acting debut in ''[[The Four Feathers (2002 film)|The Four Feathers]]'' as Sudanese princess Aquol.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/review/2002/09/20/four_feathers/index1.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908091314/http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/review/2002/09/20/four_feathers/index1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 September 2012 |title=The Four Feathers |work=Salon.com |access-date=21 January 2014 }}</ref> [[Herb Ritts]] photographed her for a 1999 calendar in a [[Joanne Gair]] [[body painting]] that was a highlight of Gair's first retrospective.<ref name="NZ_Herald_232691">{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=232691 |title=Joanne Gair's designs on celebrities |author=Herrick, Linda |date=10 December 2001 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref>

In September 2015, Alek walked for [[Marc Jacobs]] at Spring/Summer 2016 [[New York Fashion Week]], later appearing in the label's Spring Summer 2016 campaign. In May 2016, she modelled for four special edition covers of Brazilian ''Elle''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vogue.com/13339302/marc-jacobs-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2016-models/|title=Marc Jacobs Had the Most Exciting Cast at New York Fashion Week|publisher=Vogue.com|date=17 September 2015|access-date=9 October 2015|archive-date=12 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012001633/http://www.vogue.com/13339302/marc-jacobs-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2016-models/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Image===
Dark-skinned models were rare, if not unheard of, in the high fashion industry. As a result, Alek's mainstream success was celebrated by black women all over the world. [[Oprah Winfrey]] commented that "if Alek had been on the cover of a magazine when I was growing up, I would have had a different concept of who I was."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/faraigundan/2013/12/31/supermodel-alek-wek-on-the-business-of-fashion-being-the-face-of-refugees-and-life-after-the-runway/|title=Supermodel Alek Wek on the Business of Fashion, Being The Face of Refugees And Life After The Runway|first=Farai|last=Gundan|website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> In a speech on beauty and self-perception,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPCkfARH2eE|title=Lupita Nyong'o Speech on Black Beauty Essence Black Women|website=[[YouTube]] |date=March 2014 }}</ref> Kenyan-Mexican actress [[Lupita Nyong'o]] stated that she had been a self-conscious, insecure teenager before seeing Alek in the spotlight: "When I saw Alek, I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny. Now, I had a spring in my step because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the far-away gatekeepers of beauty".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/lupita-nyong-moving-speech-essence-event-article-1.1706333|title=Lupita Nyong'o: 'There is no shame in black beauty'|website=[[New York Daily News]] |date=28 February 2014 }}</ref>

===Designing===
Alek also designs a range of designer handbags called "Wek 1933", which are available throughout selected [[Selfridges]] department stores. The name refers to the year her father was born.<ref name="find1">{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_2_37/ai_n26981440 |title=Couture carryall: fashion model Alek Wek designs luxury handbags |via=Find Articles|access-date=23 February 2009 |last=Campbell |first=Denise | year=2006 }}</ref> Her inspiration for the designs came from the brass-clasp briefcase carried by her father.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stevedow.com.au/Default.aspx?id=319 |title=Steve Dow, journalist |publisher=Stevedow.com.au |date=25 January 2013 |access-date=21 January 2014}}</ref>