The modeling and fashion industry has been around for a long time; in the past, very few people made it, and the number of requirements or beauty standards were unlikely to be met, but little by little, the inclusivity and representation on catwalks and covers have been more present.
The Nyakim Gatwech model has drawn the attention of the media and social networks for her striking and unusual skin tone. Everyone knows about her, but she had to endure many difficulties during her childhood to get to where she is now.
Nyakim Gatwech was born on January 27, 1993, in Gambela, Ethiopia. She is an American model of Sudanese descent. Her parents lived in Maiwut but had to leave their home due to the South Sudan Civil War and ended up living in Gambela.
Until 14, Nyakim’s family lived in a refugee camp in Kenya, after which they immigrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. Since she was little, her dark skin color surprised the inhabitants of the fields and made her the object of ridicule, which was to increase in the United States.
They called her the “ugly duckling” and didn’t think she was attractive. At one point in her life, the young woman wanted to lighten her skin, her sister had already done it for her, but she convinced her not to do it because she would regret it. Deciding to accept her appearance and skin color took time, but she finally did it.
Her foray into fashion began when one of her designer friends asked her to pose with her creations, she accepted, and in 2017, an opportunity came to her door to star in the part of the thriller ‘Saw’.
Modeling agencies approached her to offer her work, and between advertising campaigns, covers of fashion magazines, or catwalks, the young model made a name for herself in the industry.
She currently collaborates with some clothing and cosmetics brands. She has 976 thousand followers on her Instagram account, and we do not doubt that she will continue to add more as they continue to know her.
As an anecdote, Nyakim recounted that a taxi driver once asked her if she would change her skin tone for $10,000. But she said that even if a lighter color made her life easier, she would still choose the difficult path she was going through.
Although she has not returned to her country, she honors African traditions and often chooses outfits decorated with Ethiopian ornaments.
