She’s raised controversy and faced setbacks because of her facial features and the color of her skin, but Australian-Sudanese model Nyadak “Duckie” Thot is not going to let it hold her back.
She’s been coined by the industry as a “real-life Barbie girl,” and truly, the likeness is uncanny.
The beautiful model has been modeling for some time, has graced the cover of several high-fashion magazines, and faces stiff competition for modeling jobs like everybody else, but she does have one feature that sets her apart: her extraordinary, doll-like appearance.
In 2017, Duckie was shot for a specially curated photograph titled “Duckie After Dark,” in which the photographer and stylists made a feature of her petite face and doll-like proportions, even going so far as encouraging Duckie to pose like a doll.
The photograph went viral.
Soon after, Duckie made the huge move overseas from Southern Sudan to New York City. Her career was hitting a high, and she had to go where the work was.
In Sudan, Duckie found it hard to achieve the recognition she needed to “make it” in the modeling industry, but after her Barbie doll photo went viral, the calls flooded in. She was signed by Elite Model Management in New York City and became a fixture on the runways of high-profile fashion shows in the months that followed.
Duckie is a versatile model, however, and some of her fans say they barely recognize her from photo to photo.
“Hair companies, the media, hair stylists, and the industry … they haven’t made the effort to ensure black women are looked after in their most natural form.”
Since making waves in the industry after the 2017 “Duckie After Dark” phenomenon, Duckie has had a platform for sharing her view on marginalization within the modeling industry.
“I think [the industry] should really take ownership and start to invest in us,” she added, speaking out on behalf of black women in the fashion industry.
This real-life Barbie doll, unlike the stereotype, clearly has a beautiful brain on top of her stunning appearance!
