Adut Akech: ‘The future is bright’

The future is looking even brighter for our most in demand catwalk star.

• Golden moments on Maticevski’s Paris catwalk

The future is looking even brighter for our most in demand catwalk star.

Adut Akech has wrapped Paris Fashion Week after walking for some of the world’s top couture houses, including Miu Miu, Chanel, Givenchy, Fendi and Valentino.

“These past couple of weeks have been amazing,” Akech told Confidential. “The future is bright.”

Adut walking for Chanel in Paris. Picture: Peter White/Getty Images

Adut walking for Valentino in Paris. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Teenager Akech has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past three years.

The South Sudanese-South Australian model graduated from Adelaide’s St Columba College 18 months ago and has since travelled the world working with some of the industry’s biggest names and has been voted the top model on the planet by model.com.

Destined for big things, last year Akech made history as the second black model to close the Chanel Couture show, after being hand-picked by the late Karl Lagerfeld himself.

Akech, who featured on the cover of Vogue Australia’s March issue, earlier this year opened up about her mental health, revealing she is battling fatigue, depression and anxiety.

Adut walking for Givenchy in Paris. Picture: Lucas Barioulet

Vogue Australia cover featuring Adut Akech.

“So much has happened to me in the last couple of months,” Akech told Confidential in February.

“Professionally, to everyone looking in on my life, I have had a great start to the year, but personally I haven’t had the greatest time. I just lost my cousin about three weeks ago. People look at my life and think, ‘how can she not be happy?’

“They think, ‘she is opening and closing all these (runway) shows and is getting all these magazine covers and is working with everyone, how can she have any problems?’

“But I am a human being. I have feelings too and like everybody else I have the same problems.

“Just because I have all these followers doesn’t exclude me from being human. There have been moments this year when I have felt numb.”

Adut Akech's first ever Vogue cover for Vogue Australia.

Akech’s refreshingly honest revelation came just a day after Chanel’s creative director Lagerfeld’s death.

In May, Oscar winning actor Lupita Nyong’o said she was “flattered” that people confuse her up with Aussie supermodel Akech.

Nyong’o, who was named People mag’s Most Beautiful Person in the World in 2014, said she often felt “confused” for the international runway star.

Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o with Adut. Photo: Instagram.

“They say we look alike,” Nyong’o wrote on Instagram, sharing a pic with Akech at the Met Ball in New York this week. “I would have to agree. And I am flattered that this beauty gets confused for me. But model @AdutAkech is in a class and path of her own. I feel a swell of pride and a rush of giddiness every time I see her strut down a runway or cover another powerful brand campaign or magazine.

“Adut, you are unstoppable and I am cheering on the sidelines for you! My #WomanCrush Wednesday.”

Akech responded: “You just made my morning, love you sis.”

Originally published as Adut Akech: ‘The future is bright’