The life of a model can be interesting, to say the least. As a supermodel, you are impacting society in many different ways but you may also be impacted yourself, as you have a chance at the Model of the Year award.
Recently, the title of ‘Model of the Year’ was awarded to Alex Consani. This marked the first time that a transgender model was given the award, and it didn’t sit well with everyone.
After supermodel Anok Yai lost the 2024 Model of the Year title to Alex Consani, she was understandably upset. She expressed her frustration following the event, even requesting that she be excluded from future nominations for the British Fashion Awards.
It also seemed as if Anok Yai was critical of the biases within the fashion industry. This occurred in the social media post, which was deleted shortly after it began to spark a heated debate online.
Anok was born in Egypt but raised in New Hampshire, USA. At the British Fashion Awards, which is held every year at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, she was in the running for the prestigious ‘Model of the Year’ title.
Even though she was nominated, she did not win as the transgender model took home the award. Over the years, it has been given to many, including Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger, and Cara Delevingne.
There were others who were also in the running for the award in 2024, including Alva Claire, Amelia Gray, Liu Wen, Mona Tougaard, and Alex Consani.
Anok shared a post on Instagram, referencing the infamous interpretation of Taylor Swift by Kanye West at the 2009 MTV Awards. Many felt that she was saying it was not fair that she was overlooked for the title.
Later, she went on X and the 26-year-old voiced her concerns to the British Fashion Council directly. It was deleted since then, but the essence was captured.
She wrote: “Alex [Consani], I love you and I’m proud of you. British Fashion Council, thank you but I don’t want it anymore.”
As you can imagine, there were many people who defended her and were not happy with the decision that was made. Despite the fact that she lost, she did acknowledge the accomplishment and said: “She lost the award in 2023 to model Paloma Elsesser — another deserving model and activist.”
She also said: “[Anok] has made an impact in the fashion industry, especially in the last three years. She’s become synonymous with what it means to be a high-fashion model.”
I suppose this is one debate that will just continue to roll on.
