Adut Akech: “I’ve completely let go of the need to fit into someone else’s idea of beauty”

Even when she did not wear makeup or did not sleep in two cities in one day, Adut Akech never jumps for her face. “No matter how exhausted I am, washing my face is not negotiable. I cannot go to bed without cleaning the accumulation of the day. It is a simple auto -sex act that helps me feel refreshed.” The habit is to stabilize, serving as reset, in a way, bringing a sense of order when the rest of the day is in constant motion.

This feeling of earthing crosses the way she sails on her work in the fashion world. “Before a shooting or a show, I listen either to the soothing meditation music to focus, or I put with my loved ones,” she said. “There is something to connect with people who know you at the base. It brings me joy and balance. ”

Balance is essential when the pace does not slow down. Akech has passed the best part of the decade between time zones and campaign sessions, red carpets and tracks. For someone who came by an industry that did not always celebrate the difference, visibility is work and not always easy work.

This is part of what motivates her in her role as a global ambassador for the Hummingbird Fashion Award. “I feel deeply connected to this world change towards inclusiveness and authenticity in fashion,” she says. “With the price of Hummingbird fashion and my platform, I found a space to defend various voices and tell stories that feel personal and universal at the same time.”

Self-expression, for Akech, is no longer to integrate, but to “widen the space so that others present themselves fully as themselves. Being part of this movement pushed me to kiss my individuality even more and to create with intention and goal. ”

When asked what keeps her stable, her answer is simple: photographs. “Something that always brings me back to my inner self, whether I am on the set or on stage, runs through old photographs. Whether it’s photos of previous moments of my career or my personal milestones, they remind me of why I do this. ” The images connect her to her young person – the one with “great dreams and a heart full of hope” and reminds her that everything she does is something bigger. “Create, inspire and have a significant impact.”