Akech was born on December 25, 1999, in South Sudan. She grew up with one older sister, Kim, and a bevy of younger siblings: Alakiir, Yar, Bior, and her youngest sister, Akoul, who is still a toddler.

Sudanese-Australian model. Having spent her earliest days as a refugee, Adut and her family eventually emigrated to Adelaide, Australia, where she lived out her life as a student and joined a local modeling agency. In 2016, she was cast as a global exclusive for Anthony Vaccarello’s debut Saint Laurent show.

Since then, she has become the muse of renowned designers, such as Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, who brought her to the 2018 Met Gala, and Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, who has tapped Adut to open and close multiple shows for the brand. She has also walked for Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Miu Miu, Prada, Versace, and more.

Outside of her career in fashion, Adut has begun working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to promote causes that support refugees around the world. She hopes that her own story can serve as inspiration for many to become more invested in alleviating the plights of refugees.