The model said when she first heard she'd gone viral that she thought someone had "made a meme of me or something."

Things couldn't have been further from the truth. Within a week, Yai had signed on with a New York modeling agency and was on her way to grace the cover of Elle magazine.

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She revealed that her Sudanese and Egyptian family were skeptical of the attention surrounding the model, adding that her father referred to the offers as a "scam."

She went on to become the second Black woman to open a show for a brand, and eventually opted to focus on her modeling career full-time.

The 2021 Met Gala was themed around American fashion and independence, with various celebrities dressing in the attire they thought best represented the dress code, the New York Times reports.

Anok-Yai

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