The South Sudanese-Canadian model has had an amazing 2026 so far.
Awar was selected by a committee which was chaired by casting director Anita Bitton. It also included British-Ghanaian visualist Campbell Addy, stylists Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and Carlos Nazario. The award will be presented on 30th November 2026, at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The model went viral in 2025, after she closed Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel show in an unconventional manner.
Speaking on the moment, she told Vogue:
“It was completely unscripted and spontaneous and in the moment. I was speaking with Matthieu before the show, and I’ve always just been so excited and happy for him, he is an incredible person in and outside of fashion. He had told me, ‘This is your moment, this is a chance for you to just enjoy it, do what you do, and do you,’” Odhiang recalls, “and so that’s exactly what I did.”
From closing Matthieu’s Chanel show in 2025 to landing several magazine covers, she is no stranger to accolades and recognition in the fashion industry. Let’s do a quick rundown on Awar.
Who is Awar Odhiang?
- She was born on February 16, 2000, which makes her 26 years old.
- She was born in Pugnido (Pinyudo) Refugee Camp in Ethiopia.
- Her lineage is originally from the Anyuak tribe of South Sudan.
- Her family moved to Canada in 2002, after being sponsored by a church in Canada.
- She was discovered at the age of 16 by former Canadian supermodel turned agent Lisa Kauffmann.
- She initially wanted to become a doctor.
- According to her BOF interview, she has walked approximately 65 shows in one season.
Some of Awar Odhiang’s achievements
- She made her Victoria’s Secret runway debut in 2024.
- She graced about 34 runways in 2024.
- She was named “The"Model of the Year” by Model.com in 2025.
- She is the 3rd Black model to close a Chanel show, only after Alek Wek (2004) & Adut Akech (2018).
- She has graced several respected magazine covers like Vogue Italia and Vogue France.
- She has worked with Steven Meisel on several Zara campaigns.
- She has walked the runway of several luxury brands like Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, among others.
- She has featured in different ad campaigns of high-profile fashion brands like Chanel. Chloe,Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta among others.
“Well, one of the darker sides of modeling, I would say, is really the inclusion. I believe in the industry. I think that this has been going on from day one really. (...)The fact that we’re still talking about this today really shows how big of a problem. Inclusion is being able to be in a room and not have to translate yourself. You know, being in a room where you’re not the only person who looks like you, where you’re not the only person who’s expected to speak on certain matters."
From a refugee camp in Ethiopia, to closing the exclusive Chanel runway, and now the Royal Albert Hall, Awar Odhiang has not only reached supermodel status, she has become one of the most important voices in fashion today."And, you know, that’s that’s something that I still face to this day, that many people like me, that many minorities in the industry face. It’s very disappointing that in this day and age, that’s that’s where we’re still at (...)For me, how I see the gap is between being welcome publicly and being understood privately. I think they’re two very different things. And you know, a lot of it comes from performatism of inclusivity. And so a lot of the time that’s shown in campaigns, in photos, in statements, but you know, behind the scenes there’s no diversity. There’s nobody who’s really understanding you, your story, how you’ve been treated so that’s really dismissed a lot.
But diversity also needs to be in the rooms where we’re speaking about budgeting, we’re speaking about narratives, we’re speaking about casting, everything that concerns every model. There’s no there’s really not much diversity when it come when it comes to that."
Images via--- Awar Odhiang Instagram
