Beauty standards are weird. For decades, the "ideal" look in fashion was a very narrow, very pale window that most of the world couldn't even see through, let alone fit into. Then came Nyakim Gatwech. You’ve probably seen her. She is the Queen of the Dark model, a title that wasn't just handed to her by a PR firm but was given by a massive, global audience that felt represented by her for the first time.
It started with a viral moment.
Honestly, it's kinda wild how one Uber ride can change a career. Back in 2017, an Uber driver asked Nyakim if she would ever consider bleaching her skin for 10,000 dollars. Think about that for a second. The audacity is staggering, right? But instead of getting angry or shrinking away, she laughed. She posted about it on Instagram. That post didn't just go "mini-viral"—it exploded. It turned a South Sudanese girl who had spent years in refugee camps into a global icon of self-love.
She didn't choose the name, by the way. Her fans did. At first, she was a bit hesitant about it, wondering if it had negative connotations. But then she embraced it. She realized that being the "Queen of the Dark" meant reclaiming a narrative that had been used to make people feel "less than" for centuries.
The Reality of Being the Queen of the Dark Model in a Light-Obsessed Industry
Modeling isn't just about standing there and looking pretty. It's business. And for a long time, the business of fashion was, frankly, quite racist.
Nyakim Gatwech was born in Ethiopia to South Sudanese parents who were fleeing a brutal civil war. Her childhood wasn't spent in front of mirrors; it was spent in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. When her family finally migrated to the United States, specifically Buffalo, New York, and later Minneapolis, she faced a different kind of struggle: intense bullying.
People can be cruel. Especially kids. She has spoken openly about how peers would tell her to go take a shower because she "looked dirty" or ask why her skin was so dark. It’s the kind of trauma that stays with you. It’s also why her success feels so much like a victory for everyone who has ever been told they don't fit the mold.
Breaking the Melanin Barrier
The term Queen of the Dark model often gets confused with other dark-skinned models like Duckie Thot or Anok Yai. While they are all phenomenal, Nyakim’s "thing" is her refusal to compromise. She isn't just "dark-skinned" in the way the industry usually likes—which is often a medium chocolate tone. She is deep, rich charcoal.
Her skin is so pigmented that it almost has a blue-purple hue under certain lights.
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Photographers used to have no idea how to light her. That’s a real problem in the industry. Most lighting setups in studios are designed for Caucasian skin. If you use those same settings on Nyakim, she disappears into the shadows or looks "flat." She had to learn how to advocate for herself, demanding that lighting directors and makeup artists actually learn their craft instead of just winging it.
Imagine being 20 years old and having to tell a professional with 20 years of experience that they are doing their job wrong. That takes serious guts.
Why Social Media Was the Secret Weapon
If Nyakim had tried to break into modeling in the 1990s, she might have been ignored. The gatekeepers were too powerful then. But in the 2010s, Instagram changed everything.
She bypassed the traditional "waiting for a scout" phase by building a direct connection with her audience. People weren't just looking at her photos; they were reading her captions. She talked about her insecurities. She talked about how she used to cry herself to sleep because she wanted to be lighter.
That vulnerability is what built her brand.
By the time major labels like Fenty Beauty, L’Oréal, and Calvin Klein came calling, she already had a following that was bigger than most agencies' entire rosters. She had leverage. She wasn't just a "diversity hire" for a single campaign; she was a voice.
The Financial Impact of "Darkness"
Let's talk money. Because representation is great, but getting paid is better.
The "Queen of the Dark" moniker became a brand. It allowed her to secure high-paying contracts that specifically highlighted her skin tone rather than trying to mute it. When brands like Aldo or Cosmopolitan feature her, they aren't just selling shoes or magazines. They are selling the idea of unapologetic confidence.
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There was a rumor a few years ago that she was in the Guinness World Records for having the "darkest skin in the world."
Actually, that’s fake news.
Nyakim herself clarified that Guinness doesn't track skin tone records, and they shouldn't. It’s a weird, fetishistic way to look at a human being. She wants to be known for her work and her advocacy, not as some biological anomaly. This is a crucial distinction. When we talk about the Queen of the Dark model, we are talking about a professional at the top of her game, not a circus act.
Navigating the "Colorism" Conversation
You can't talk about Nyakim without talking about colorism. This isn't just "racism-lite." It’s a specific prejudice where people within the same ethnic group are treated differently based on the shade of their skin.
In many parts of Africa and Asia, skin-bleaching creams are a billion-dollar industry.
Nyakim’s presence is a direct threat to that industry. Every time she posts a photo looking like royalty, she’s telling a million young girls that they don't need to buy toxic chemicals to be beautiful. She’s effectively deprogramming decades of colonial beauty standards.
It’s heavy stuff for a fashion model to carry.
She’s mentioned in interviews that she feels the pressure. She’s human. She has bad skin days. She gets tired. But she knows that her visibility matters. When she walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, she wasn't just walking for herself. She was walking for every girl in a refugee camp who thinks her life is limited by the way she looks.
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Practical Lessons from Nyakim’s Rise
If you’re looking at her career and wondering how to apply her success to your own life—regardless of your industry—there are a few key takeaways.
First: Own your "flaw." What the world calls a flaw is usually just a differentiator. Nyakim’s skin was what people bullied her for; it’s now the reason she’s a millionaire.
Second: Control your narrative. She didn't wait for a magazine to tell her story. She told it herself on social media, flaws and all.
Third: Resilience is a literal skill. You don't just "have" it. You build it by getting rejected, getting insulted, and showing up the next day anyway. Nyakim was rejected by countless agencies before she found her footing. They told her she was "too dark" or that her look wouldn't "translate" to commercial markets.
They were wrong.
What’s Next for Nyakim?
She isn't just modeling anymore. She’s moved into speaking engagements and activism. She’s heavily involved in supporting South Sudanese refugees and advocating for education.
The industry is still changing.
We see more models like her now, but it’s not perfect. There’s still a tendency for brands to use one dark-skinned model and think, "Okay, we’re done with diversity for this year." Nyakim is pushing for a world where she isn't the "exception," but part of the rule.
She often says that "Black is not a color of sadness or death; it is a color of strength and elegance."
It’s a simple sentiment, but in a world that has spent a long time saying the opposite, it’s revolutionary. The Queen of the Dark model isn't just a title—it's a paradigm shift.
Actionable Steps for Promoting Diversity and Self-Confidence
- Audit your media intake. If your Instagram feed or the magazines you read only show one type of beauty, your brain will start to believe that’s the only type that exists. Follow creators like Nyakim Gatwech, Anok Yai, and Paloma Elsesser to broaden your perspective.
- Support inclusive brands. Put your money where your values are. Support companies like Fenty Beauty or Pat McGrath Labs that have pioneered inclusive shade ranges from day one, rather than those that only added dark shades after being "called out."
- Challenge colorist comments. When you hear someone make a "joke" about skin tone or suggest that someone would be prettier if they were "a bit lighter," speak up. Silence is a form of agreement.
- Focus on skincare over skin tone. Healthy skin is the goal, not a specific color. Use products that nourish your barrier and protect against UV damage, regardless of how much melanin you have.
- Develop a "Personal Brand" based on authenticity. If you're an aspiring creator, don't hide your unique traits. The very thing that makes you feel "different" is usually your greatest market asset. Nyakim’s career proves that the niche is often more powerful than the mainstream.