Alek Wek Shares Her Design Artistry in Fall 2021 Weekend Max Mara Collab

South Sudanese-British top model, artist and designer Alek Wek has long focused on the fashion industry’s perception of beauty. Oprah Winfrey said that “If Alek had been on the cover of a magazine when when I was growing up, I would have had a different concept of who I was." Forbes Magazine in 2013 featured Wek on the cover of Forbes Life Africa as ‘The Beauty That Tumbled From War.’

In Fall 2021 Alek Wek collaborates with Weekend Max Mara on a Signature capsule collection. Mixing “African culture with a London calling vibe and a touch of Boho,” the United Nations’ Good Will Ambassador combined references from her origins in South Sudan with the shared needs for versatility among today’s women on the move.

“A.W.orld by Alek Wek,” is a joyful and colorful capsule with direct inspo from Wek’s own artworks. Photographer Ethan James Green [IG] captures key pieces from the collection styled by Tonne Goodman./ Makeup by Dick Page

Read about Alek Wek’s 2013 entry into the UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador role. At the time Alek reminded us that “Today, it is three-times more likely that a girl in South Sudan will die in childbirth than make it to the eighth grade.”

Wek’s 2012-2013 comment about the daunting challenges facing refugees resonates today, as we struggle to bring Afghan people out of reinstalled Taliban rule in the country.

“I have always felt it important to support the efforts of organizations that help refugees rebuild their lives. As a refugee from South Sudan, I understand what it is like to be forced from your home. It’s painful, scary and can separate you from your loved ones.”

Alek Wek