#TBT Alek Wek in Vogue, 1997

Alexandra Perron
·Editor
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Model Alek Wek in Vogue, September 1997. (Photo: Vogue)

In honor of Alek Wek’s birthday, we decided to throw it back to this photo of the Sudanese model from Vogue’s September 1997 issue. Shot by famed fashion photographer Bruce Weber, Wek rocks a cool blue eyeshadow, beaded dress, and a mega-watt smile.

Wek got her start modeling after leaving her war-torn home in Sudan in 1991. At age 14, she moved to London and was discovered by a scout while in a market. She’s appeared in dozens of magazines, walked for every designer from Céline to Marc Jacobs, and serves as an advisor to the US Committee for Refugees. Today she celebrates her 38th birthday—Happy Birthday Alek!