In the capital Juba, young men and women practise runway walks hoping modelling will take them beyond South Sudan, one of the fashion industry’s most sought-after scouting grounds.
Despite years of conflict and poverty since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has emerged as an unexpected global force in fashion.
According to Models.com, the country has produced several of the industry’s most sought after top models.
Aspiring talents draw inspiration from trailblazers like Awar Odhiang, who rose from a refugee camp in Ethiopia to make history by closing a Chanel show at Paris Fashion Week.
Alek Wek, discovered in a London car park in the 1990s after fleeing war, paved the way as one of the first South Sudanese supermodels to achieve international stardom.
In the capital Juba, agencies like Jubalicious scout and train promising models, preparing them for major runways in Paris, Milan, and London.
For those who succeed, a single fashion season can bring in tens of thousands of dollars an extraordinary sum in a nation where extreme poverty affects most citizens.Yet the journey is fraught with obstacles.
Visa denials frequently block South Sudanese models from reaching Europe for confirmed gigs and major fashion weeks, even with contracts in hand.
Nineteen year old Yar Agou, signed with Jubalicious, saw her dream of walking Milan Fashion Week crushed when her visa was rejected at the eleventh hour.
She now works as a cleaner while awaiting the next chance.Others encounter the same barriers.
Bichar Hoah, who grew up in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, recently failed to obtain a European visa despite landing modeling opportunities.
Even models who break through face fierce competition in an industry always hunting for the next fresh face.
Still, for many young South Sudanese, modeling represents one of the few realistic paths to transform their lives and challenge stereotypes about their country.
For Agou and fellow hopefuls honing their walks on Juba’s streets, the ambition endures: to one day proudly represent South Sudan on the world’s most prestigious catwalks.
