‘Unacceptable and inexcusable’: International model Adut Akech slams magazine mistake

Model Adut Akech has spoken out about a blunder made by an Aussie magazine, one she described as “unacceptable and inexcusable”.

Model Adut Akech has spoken out after a magazine published a photo of another woman alongside an interview in which she spoke about race and identity.

Akech, 19, was featured in last week’s Who magazine to mark her role as this year’s face of Melbourne Fashion Week.

But a prominent photo featured in the magazine spread was not of Akech but instead of model Flavia Lazarus.

In an Instagram post Akech said Who had “apologised to her directly” about the error but she wanted to speak out about how “unacceptable and inexcusable” the situation had been for her.

“Not only do I personally feel insulted and disrespected but I feel like my entire race has been disrespected too and it is why I feel it is important that I address this issue,” Akech wrote.

Akech said she felt the photo error “defeated the purpose of what I stand for” and showed “people are very ignorant and narrow-minded” in thinking “every black girl or African people looks the same”.

Writing that she wanted the mix-up to be “a wake up call” to the industry, Akech explained it wasn’t the first time she was mistaken for someone else.

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Adut Akech walking for Fendi. Picture: Miguel MEDINA / AFP.

Adut Akech at this year’s MET Gala. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

“I’ve been called by the name of another models who happens to be of the same ethnicity, I find it very ignorant, rude and disrespectful towards both of us simply because we know that this doesn’t happen with white models,” Akech said.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, public relations company OPR, used by the City of Melbourne council, had “mistakenly” supplied Who a file of images which meant the wrong photo was used.

News.com.au has contacted Who for comment.

Akech’s family fled South Sudan for Kenya where she grew up in a refugee camp before coming to Australia as a refugee in 2008.

She made her major runaway debut for Saint Laurent at age 16 and is one of the world’s most in-demand models, modelling for the likes of Valentino and Chanel.

Akech was also hand-picked by Meghan Markle as one of the 15 influential women featured on British Vogue’s “Forces for Change” September issue guest-edited by the Duchess of Sussex.