Alek Wek was born in Sudan in 1977 but moved with her family to England in 1991 to escape the country’s civil war. She was spotted by a Models 1 scout when shopping in Crystal Palace in 1995 and then appeared in the video for Tina Turner’s GoldenEye, quickly launching her into the modelling world. She has appeared on magazine covers all over the world and has been featured in campaigns for Issey Miyake, Moschino, Victoria’s Secret and Clinique. In 2001, drawing inspiration from a briefcase her father carried, she turned her attention to designing bags under the name Wek 1933, a reference to the year her father was born. In 2007 she published an autobiography titled Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel. Alek is a member of the U.S. Committee for Refugees’ Advisory Council which helps raise awareness towards the plight of refugees worldwide.
