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Starting modeling in the '90s, it was quite surreal. They were like, 'You're so different! So weird! So bizarre!' And I'm like, 'I'm so normal. What are you talking about?'
Alek Wek
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Beauty is subjective and should not be limited to only what we see on the outside.
Alek Wek
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It's sometimes tiring to get off a long-haul flight and go straight to the studio for a shoot, but if you really plan everything well, you can get so much out of combining travel with work.
Alek Wek
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There are tons of black girls modeling, and each one is special.
Alek Wek
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When I think of 'Instagram models,' I say you have to take baby steps. You cannot just walk straight onto the runway.
Alek Wek
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I could never understand why other kids wanted to truant - my education here gave me everything. It's the place where I really got to flourish.
Alek Wek
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We need to do everything we can to protect the health and welfare of children around the world, but fortunately, it's getting easier to provide things like medication and care.
Alek Wek
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Whenever I feel I am going through my own 'little' challenging moment, I just think about my mom.
Alek Wek
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When the militias came to Wau, they would blast out 'Thriller' as they moved down the dirt streets.
Alek Wek
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I would love to continue to model but also have a family.
Alek Wek
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I had serious psoriasis as a child - it's strange that I make my living off my looks after years of looking like a monster.
Alek Wek
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Having arrived in London to seek refuge during the civil war in Sudan, where I was born, the thing I'm most proud of is having totally evolved. I came here not knowing how to speak English, but I went to school and learned; I adapted to this new culture.
Alek Wek
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I grew up in southern Sudan, one of nine children. Our life was simple but very happy.
Alek Wek
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When I first started modeling, I realised I was very different from many of my colleagues, but I welcomed the opportunities my career in fashion offered me and the support from many inspiring individuals in the fashion industry.
Alek Wek
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I love cooking. I love having friends around.
Alek Wek
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South Sudanese people are rich like the soil; they just need a little water, and they will grow.
Alek Wek
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I think the fashion industry has gotten to a place where it is embarrassing.
Alek Wek
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When I was 14, I came to school in London. I remember it was very cold, but also having to adjust and become fluent in English.
Alek Wek
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We survived on natural resources, so we should take care of the earth. When I leave home, I do things like switching off the heat and lights.
Alek Wek
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I grew up in a small town in Sudan. There weren't many cars, so we did things in the countryside near where we lived.
Alek Wek
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Going back to South Sudan after the independence took place was deeply emotional for me because I had gone through the civil war with my family just before going to seek refuge in London.
Alek Wek
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The most beautiful things are not associated with money; they are memories and moments. If you don't celebrate those, they can pass you by.
Alek Wek
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When I was 10 years old, I fled my homeland amid the bomb blasts of civil war in Sudan.
Alek Wek
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When my friends talk about childhood, I've never heard of any cartoons or TV they remember. The only thing we share is Michael Jackson. That's how far his music travelled - to a remote village on the other side of the world.
Alek Wek
