An image that's gone viral has turned Sudanese beauty Anok Yai from an unknown into a model sensation.
As a biochemistry student at Howard University in Washington DC, Yai went to her homecoming weekend only to be snapped for a street style image by the photographer Steven Hall, who shared it on his popular Instagram account, @thesunk.
The image racked up more than 19,000 likes and, unexpectedly, Yai received thousands of new followers. "I first saw the photo after my phone started getting the notifications," she said.
Kyle Hagler - the president of Next Management - soon met Yai and immediately signed her to the agency.
Hall has since posted a short video of Anok's first official shoot on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: "Meeting Anok on the Yard during homecoming was serendipitous ... That day has changed both of our paths and she’s inspired me. Definitely wishing her well on her new journey, she’s going to kill it ... P.S. no one will ever have a problem pronouncing her name by next year. Lol."
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 