Anok Yai is your favorite supermodel's favorite supermodel. Since being discovered at Howard University's Homecoming in 2017, she has graced the runway for dozens of top designers and starred in haute couture campaigns worldwide. But how much of her incredible journey can she recall off the cuff? Watch as Harper's Bazaar puts its April cover star to the ultimate test to see how well she truly knows herself. From recalling her sentimental gift from Karl Lagerfeld to unveiling the mystery behind her eyeless paintings, Anok reveals it all.
Check out Anok Yai's Harper's Bazaar cover story here: www.harpersbazaar.com/faces-of-now-april-2025
#AnokYai #AllAboutMe #BAZAAR
Check out Anok Yai's Harper's Bazaar cover story here: www.harpersbazaar.com/faces-of-now-april-2025
#AnokYai #AllAboutMe #BAZAAR
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PeopleTranscript
00:00I blast like the Dark Knight soundtrack because I like listening to the Joker when I'm painting.
00:06Hey Harper's Bazaar, I'm Anaki Eye and I'm going to ask you some trivia questions.
00:10All about me.
00:12I think it's going to go pretty good. I mean, it's about me. I hope it goes good.
00:17What was the first show you ever opened? The first show that I ever opened was the Prada show.
00:23I remember how stiff I was. I was walking like this because I was literally terrified.
00:28I didn't know which way to go. So you either have to go left or right.
00:32And if you go the wrong direction, you just show backwards and the whole show is ruined because you're the first person out and everyone's going to follow you.
00:37I freaked out so much that I just went out. I said, eenie, meenie, miney, mo.
00:42And I went to the left and thank God it was the right one. It was the start of my career.
00:46What major beauty transformation did you undergo in this year's YSL show in Paris?
00:52I shaved my head.
00:53I was watching a movie and I can't remember, but there was a scene where this girl just shaved her head in the bathroom.
01:01And I was like, that would look so cool if I did that for a YSL campaign.
01:05So then I DM'd Anthony and I was like, Anthony, can I please shave my head for the show? Can I shave my head for the show?
01:09I flew to Paris and then I met Anthony and we started shooting the campaign.
01:13I gave him the razor and I was like, shave my head.
01:14And then he did it and we waited until the next YSL show to debut the look.
01:21And I haven't told my mom yet.
01:24You have been to the Met Gala four times and named the designers who dress you in chronological order.
01:29I'm really bad at chronological order, so I'm going to go backwards.
01:32So 2024 was Swarovski.
01:342023 was Prabhu Gurung.
01:372022 was Oscar de la Renta.
01:40No, 2022 was Michael Kors.
01:422021 was Oscar de la Renta.
01:46The year that I went with Prabhu Gurung, I had this really wide dress.
01:51It wasn't fabric, obviously.
01:52It was like really tough material to stay up.
01:54And by the time I went to go inside, I was supposed to have a bar stool to sit on because I couldn't sit on the normal seats.
01:59And when I got inside, my bar stool wasn't there.
02:01So I was like fighting to like sit down and I couldn't sit down.
02:04And then Maluma had to like literally help me sit on my chair.
02:08What is the one aspect of your paintings that you deliberately keep unfinished?
02:11They've all been like musicians and friends that I've been inspired by.
02:15And I would paint their face, their body, everything.
02:19And then for some reason, I always kept the eyes unpainted.
02:23And I haven't figured out the reason why, but I know that I never paint the eyes.
02:27And there's always a red circle somewhere in every one of my paintings.
02:31But when I'm painting, I'm very sensitive.
02:33I don't like to talk to anybody.
02:34I don't like anyone being in the studio with me.
02:37And like I always wear a black hoodie for some reason.
02:39I hate hearing anyone's opinions on my paintings.
02:43I'll paint for like 10 hours straight.
02:46And the way that I figure out the time is I'll have movies playing while I'm painting.
02:49So I know how much time has gone by.
02:51I sleep in my studio for like a week.
02:53It sounds like there's like a crazy person in the studio because I blast Hans Zimmer and I blast like the Dark Knight soundtrack.
03:00Because I like listening to the Joker when I'm painting.
03:03What did you wear to your first ever model casting?
03:07When I first went to the next offices, I thought it was done.
03:13And I was wearing a Miley Cyrus Walmart collab t-shirt.
03:19And I thought it looked hot as fuck.
03:21Pay less heels, bogo.
03:23And I had this like Michael Kors purse that was my sister's that I stole from her.
03:27And I just walked in like, hey y'all.
03:31I'm gonna be a model.
03:33Name the three artists who featured you in their music videos.
03:37Lil Yachty.
03:38And he sent me the song and he sent me the storyboard.
03:41And I thought it was amazing.
03:43We flew to Columbia and we shot it and it turned out so fire.
03:47He's very talented.
03:48That was like one of my favorite albums that he did.
03:51And then the next one that I did was Travis Scott.
03:53The one thing that I noticed about him was how particular he was about every single thing that was happening in terms of the light, the mood of the models, the way the storyline was, the setting, everything.
04:03He was very clear and cut about what he wanted and inspired me to like say my opinion more and stand my ground.
04:09And then the last music video that I did was Offset.
04:11So Offset came up to me and he didn't shoot the cover for the song yet.
04:15And so he asked me if I was willing to do it.
04:18And then I told him, I have a crazy idea.
04:20And then he's like, what?
04:21I said, I should be naked with a lion heels on the Cybertruck.
04:24And he was just like, okay.
04:27And I was like, just figure it out.
04:28After we shot the music video, I got dressed.
04:31Well, I put it on my heels.
04:32And then I got on top of the Cybertruck and then we shot it and it came out by her.
04:37Which designer gifted you the Fendi bag that you gave to your mother?
04:40Carl Agrafal gave me a Fendi bag that hadn't come out yet.
04:44And I was like, okay, I'm going to give it to my mom for Mother's Day.
04:46And I gave it to my mom.
04:47My mom had no idea like what Fendi was or Prada.
04:50And she's like, oh, cute blue bag.
04:52And she just threw it in her closet.
04:53I think it's still there.
04:54I was shooting a Fendi campaign a few years ago.
04:58So I was flying from New York to Paris.
05:00Once I got to the airport, the flight was overbooked.
05:02So I had to run to another airport, do a connection from London to Paris.
05:07I land in London and the connection, I miss it.
05:10So then I go to my driver and then I get a call from my agent.
05:13You have to take a helicopter.
05:14I'm sorry, Mother, you have to take a helicopter.
05:17I said, okay.
05:17I land in the middle of Paris and then I get onto a motorcycle.
05:21I drive straight to the set.
05:25And this has been like 12 hours of traveling.
05:28I go to set and then Karl Lagerfeld sitting there with his camera.
05:31He's like, come baby.
05:32And I was like, okay.
05:33He shoots a campaign in 15 minutes.
05:35And then he's like, good job.
05:36Here's a pack.
05:37And I was like, okay.
05:40It's time for the rapid fire round.
05:42Let's go.
05:43Who is one designer you'd love to work with that you haven't yet?
05:46Alexander McQueen.
05:46What was your most iconic fashion moment?
05:49The Swarovski look.
05:50What is your fashion hot take?
05:52High slits.
05:52Pointed heels go with any outfit.
05:54Socks and heels are in.
05:55Name an artist that's always on your playlist.
05:58Party next door.
05:59The weekend.
06:00Beyonce.
06:00Beam.
06:01Two by two.
06:01Reveal the most expensive thing you've ever bought.
06:04Iced out.
06:05Patek Philippe.
06:06Who is the most famous contact on your phone?
06:08I was DMing Dolce.
06:09What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
06:12Probably me.
06:12Thank you so much for having me, Harper's Bazaar.
06:16Don't forget to check out my cover.
06:18It's out now.
06:19Don't forget to check out my cover.
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