Quick answer
Who is Alek Wek?
Alek Wek (born 16 April 1977 in Wau, South Sudan) is a South Sudanese-British model and designer whose late-1990s breakthrough helped broaden the industry’s idea of beauty. Alek Wek is ranked #29 on The Cast Index Global 50, with an Index Rating of 84.8 out of 100 in the 5 October 2026 snapshot.
At a glance
How old and how tall is Alek Wek?
Alek Wek was born on 16 April 1977 in Wau, South Sudan, which makes Alek 49 as of 5 October 2026. Alek Wek’s recorded height is 180 cm (5 ft 11 in), according to Wikidata. Agency measurements can differ slightly.
- Born
- 16 April 1977 (age 49)
- Birthplace
- Wau, South Sudan
- Height
- 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Disciplines
- Runway, Editorial
- Cast Index status
- #29 · 84.8 / 100
- @msalekwek
Birth date, birthplace and height from Wikidata (Q239508), retrieved . Agencies from the listed sources. Profile updated .
The perspective
What is Alek Wek known for?
A defining breakout of the late 1990s runway.
The published assessment
Where does Alek Wek rank on the Global 50?
Alek Wek is ranked #29 on The Cast Index Global 50, with an Index Rating of 84.8 out of 100 in the 5 October 2026 snapshot.
Each pillar reflects an editorial assessment of the published record. The weighted rating belongs to the snapshot.
Index Rating · Editorial pillars · High confidence · evidence reviewed
84.8
- Runway · 40%
- 88
-
88 / 100 - Campaigns · 30%
- 82
-
82 / 100 - Editorial · 20%
- 80
-
80 / 100 - Cultural aura · 10%
- 90
-
90 / 100
Evidence behind the assessment
- Walked Roberto Cavalli Milan Womenswear Spring/Summer 2025 (September 2024) and Chanel Paris Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 (October 2025).
- Fronted Betsey Johnson's Spring 2025 campaign and a Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2026 campaign (February 2026).
- Reflected on a 30-year career in Interview Magazine's Winter 2025 issue.
New work and corrections can change the assessment. A profile’s confidence label describes the depth of its source review.
The runway record
Which shows has Alek Wek walked?
The Cast Index casting ledger records 1 verified walk for Alek Wek, for Vetements. Each links its published source.
A source-linked selection across seasons, rather than a complete booking history. Open the source for the original record.
- SS27 Menswear · Walked · Paris Fashion Week Menswear SS27Source ↗
Vetements
Career & background
The story so far.
Biography last reviewed .
Early life
Alek Wek was born on 16 April 1977 in Wau, in present-day South Sudan, the seventh of nine children of Akuol, a housewife, and Athian, an education official who died in 1985 from complications of an injury sustained while the family fled civil-war violence in Wau. Wek arrived in London as a refugee in 1991, at age 14.
She was scouted at 18 at an outdoor market in Crystal Palace, London, by a Models 1 scout, and signed with Ford Models in 1996.
Breaking barriers, 1995–2002
Wek appeared in Tina Turner’s "GoldenEye" music video in 1995. In 1997 she was named MTV’s "Model of the Year," became the first African model to appear on the cover of Elle, and appeared in Janet Jackson’s "Got ’Til It’s Gone" video. Her cover credits have included the American, French, German and South African editions of Elle, alongside i-D, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Forbes Africa and Ebony, and editorial work for American and British Vogue. In 2002 she made her film-acting debut in The Four Feathers, playing a Sudanese princess, and became an advisor to the U.S. Committee for Refugees Advisory Council.
Advocacy and business, 2007–2016
Wek published her autobiography, "Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel," in 2007. She served as a guest judge on America’s Next Top Model and Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model in 2011, and became the face of Amarula’s "African Originals" campaign in 2012, the same year she travelled to South Sudan with the UN Refugee Agency to document refugee stories. She walked for Marc Jacobs at New York Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2016 show and was included in the BBC’s 100 Women that year, alongside four special-edition Brazilian Elle covers in May 2016.
Recent record
Wek took a role in the film Suspiria in 2018 and appeared in Doja Cat’s "Gorgeous" music video in 2025. Her business ventures include the "Wek 1933" handbag line, named for her father’s birth year and sold at Selfridges, alongside a long-standing record of humanitarian work with World Vision, Doctors Without Borders — where she serves as an ambassador for Sudan — and UNICEF.
At a glance
Quick facts.
- Born 16 April 1977 in Wau, Sudan (present-day South Sudan); arrived in London as a refugee in 1991 at age 14
- Scouted at 18 at an outdoor market in Crystal Palace, London, by a Models 1 scout
- The first African model to appear on the cover of Elle, in 1997
- Published an autobiography, "Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel," in 2007
- Long-standing humanitarian work with the UN Refugee Agency, World Vision, Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF
- Created the "Wek 1933" handbag line, named for her father’s birth year, sold at Selfridges
