From a Refugee Camp to Closing Chanel: Awar Odhiang Is Model of the Year

She was born in a refugee camp. This year she closed a Chanel show.

On November 4, 2026, the British Fashion Council named Awar Odhiang the Model of the Year. She'll get the award at The Fashion Awards on Monday, November 30, 2026, at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Where she started

Awar was born in 2000 in the Pugnido refugee camp in Ethiopia, to South Sudanese parents. Her family moved to Moose Jaw, Canada, in 2002, and later to Calgary.

She didn't start in Paris or New York. She signed with a local agency in her hometown, Mode Models International in Calgary.

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Her year

• She closed Matthieu Blazy's first Chanel show, as the bride
• She's only the third Black model to close a Chanel show, after Alek Wek in 2004 and Adut Akech in 2018
• She landed 8 magazine covers in 2026, including her first Vogue cover, Vogue Italia in February
• She starred in campaigns for Chanel, Chloé, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Loro Piana and H&M

What they said

"You never have to dim your light to belong," Awar said.

"She earned this recognition through hard work and commitment. She understood the assignment and rose to it," said casting director Anita Bitton, who led the panel.

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The lesson for you

Every top model started somewhere small. A local agency. A first test shoot. Somebody who saw something and said yes.

Your somewhere small can be today.

• Step 1: Take the free Screen Test or Rate Me on your phone. About a minute each.
• Step 2: Apply free in about 3 minutes.
• Step 3: Our casting team looks at every application. Not everyone is selected, but everyone gets a real look.