Model Nyakim Gatwech is beautiful. Period. The dark skinned model has been deemed “Queen of Dark” and it’s a title she’s pushes to the limits.
As a child, Nyakim grew up harshly learning the complexities of beauty standards. Now, with almost 900k Instagram followers, she drives right past them with the top down and her Gucci shades on. Not only beautiful, but smart. Nyakim is organizing nonprofits to help girls in her home country get access to hygiene products and she’s trying to shut down the skin bleaching industry. All of this and helping pave the way for black models with her can-do attitude.
Read more about Nyakim Gatwech in Episode 22 of People You Should Know.
1. You’ve walked the #NYFW runway, been featured on magazine covers, spoken at dozens of events, and more. What is it like knowing that you play a big role in showing that all shades of black is beautiful?
It’s a big honor. I feel like I’m so blessed to be at the stage I’m at right now; to be a voice in this moment of my career and my life. It’s an overwhelming feeling that I never thought I would ever achieve. So I look forward to all types of events. Either going to speak at events or being that spokesperson for a certain topic is something that I’m always looking forward to because I feel like those events are more rewarding. I would rather go to an event and speak about my experience, or speak about what I went through then have a photo shoot because I feel like that’s more rewarding. I feel like my voice is being heard all over the world in a way that I never would have imagined it would happen. So it’s an honor and I’m blessed that I’m able to do that.
2. Have you always embraced your beautiful skin tone?
No. I want to say yes, but I would be lying if I did. I knew deep down in my heart that I loved my skin the way it was, but I’ve never always showed it. When I was back home I’ve never looked at myself any differently or that I wasn’t beautiful because I was a darker person. When I came to America things went left. I started getting bullied and kids started putting doubts in my head about how I looked and made it seem as if something was wrong with me. I started believing what they said and fell into their negative comments towards me and then everything went downhill until I learned to pick myself back up.
3. Where did the title “Queen of Dark” on your IG @queennyakimoffical page come from and how do you feel about it?
On Instagram, before people knew who I was, my handle was @QueenNyakim right cause that was one of my things. I’m a queen and you can’t tell me otherwise. I’d post pictures of myself speaking on how I love my dark complexion, and what I was feeling. So one of my supporters put two and two together and was like this girl calls herself queen and she talks about her dark complexion. Then I’d just seen an article on Twitter that said “Nayakim Gatwech has recently been nicknamed Queen of Dark.” When I first saw it I laughed. I thought it was catchy and brilliant so I just went ahead and embraced it. I’m a queen, and I’m a dark skinned model. So hey, if that’s what you want to call me I’m ok with it.
4. How long have you been modeling and how did you first get into it?
Modeling was something that I always wanted to do. I was 14 when I came to America and I wanted to pursue it, but I was at a stage in my life where I didn’t feel beautiful. Fastforward and it was during my senior year of high school that I did my first fashion show for a program called African Nights. I was so nervous, but I literally had so much fun. I saw a different side of me that I’d been hiding for so long. After that I knew modeling was my calling so from that point on I decided to pursue it. After high school I tried to move to New York, but I couldn’t afford to live in New York City so I was living in Buffalo, NY. I would take a bus and go to New York to try and get signed, but nothing was happening. So I was like well I love this, but this is not happening for me. I returned to Minnesota and went back to college and decided to do it as a hobby on the side.
I’ve been modeling professionally for three years now, and I’m an independent model. I’m not signed to an agency. I’m lucky and blessed to have the platform that I have and be able to work that way because these agencies are not easy. They have that one black girl or two black girls and they’re good with that. I’ve been to so many agency calls in L.A., Miami, New York and I don’t get callbacks. Some of them are like oh thank you for coming, but we already have someone that looks like you. I’m like wait, I have a twin?! Last time I checked I didn’t have a twin. But that’s how this industry is. So I have to be okay with the no’s and that’s how it is in this industry.
5. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a black model?
First, always being singled out or discriminated against. A lot of black models feel like they have to compete with each other because these agencies make us feel like we’re not enough; like there can only be so many of you. I’ve been in an incident where I asked my black model friends to let me know about a casting call during New York Fashion Week. Majority of them said no because they were afraid I would book that gig because most agencies look for that one black model. So it’s a hard challenge that we go through. Second, having some of us look like clowns because some of these makeup artists don’t know how to do dark skinned models’ makeup. That’s not okay. We face so many challenges and they can make you feel like you can’t speak up. If you’re at a show and somebody crosses you, you can’t say anything because that would make you the angry black model and you won’t get bookings. You won’t get work because you stand up for yourself. I’m like no, I’m going to stand up for myself. I did a fashion show in New York and I was sitting backstage; almost 200 male and female models total. I’m backstage getting my makeup and hair done when I noticed there were only 2 dark skinned models (including me). So I sat next to the other black girl and asked if she noticed we were the only two blacks. She was like wow I didn’t even see that. I’m like this is crazy! So we still have a long way to go even though we’ve come a long way. Black models in this industry…it’s hard.
6. Your skin is amazingly silky smooth! What is your secret?
I always say my secret is God-given and shea butter. My skin absorbs every lotion so shea butter is the only thing I can put on and not be ashy within 3 hours.
7. Your South Sudanese parents had you in Ethopia at a refugee camp because they had to escape the country’s conflicts. What was your transition like from moving from your culture to a new one?
At first, it was exciting! All I looked forward to was going to school and seeing my sister who moved here in 1999. Plus, I was so excited to start modeling. However, when I moved here it wasn’t an easy transition because of the language barrier (I didn’t know English) and the kids not being comfortable with me. Right away that hit me. Within the first month my sister signed me up for school (I went to middle school) and it was a whole different ball game. My sister lived in Buffalo, New York so that’s where we first lived before we moved to Minnesota. In Buffalo there were no Sundanese communities or African communities. So it wasn’t like I could’ve made friends with people that look like me. So I had to try to make friends with kids that I can barely communicate with and were scared of me. It was really hard, but I had my sister and she made it a little bit easier. She came here at 18 with her husband and fell into the trap of kids making fun of her complexion too. She even went to the extent of bleaching her skin to fit in. I even thought about doing that to try to fit in, but I had my sister who told me that she did it and she’s not happy with it and if I do that I won’t be happy either. I’m so glad I listened to her and I had her. It was a hard time, but hey that’s what made me who I am today. I was able to work through that and be here today.
8. What’s your favorite thing about being a model?
I always tell people, when you think of models as these pretty people that wear pretty clothes and pose for magazines and walk in fashion that’s all you think of them; at least that’s what I thought. When I first got into it I was like I want to look so pretty and be in a couple of magazines with some pretty clothes and get my makeup and hair done. That literally was my whole thing of what models were supposed to do, but now that I’m in it one of my favorite things is just being the voice. I have a message that I need the world to hear and I’m able to do that through modeling and that makes me the happiest girl ever. I feel like that’s one of things I love so much about what I’m doing.
9. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your career?
Although I’m grateful that I’m home with family (spending time with my mom, sisters, and my brother) all my jobs were canceled. I was booked for March, April, and even May. When my jobs got canceled I was like what am I supposed to do because I’m an independent model. I can’t get unemployment, but I’ll be okay. I’m trying to look on the bright side like maybe this is the time for me to be in one place.
10. What’s the first thing you plan to do after this pandemic passes?
When I came here I was supposed to have a gathering with a few girls in St. Cloud, Minnesota to meet up, pick my brain, and have a fun event but I canceled it because of COVID-19. So that’s the first thing I’m going to do here in St. Cloud, Minnesota. After that I’ll go to the nail shop, book my flight back to New York, and try to go back to my own life.
