Fashion focus: Alex Consani and Anok Yai

On December 2, in the Royal Albert Hall, The Fashion Awards 2024 occurred, shining a spotlight on the outstanding contributions of emerging and established cultural fashion leaders. The event, as the main fundraiser for the British Fashion Council (BFC) Foundation – which supports the future growth of the British fashion industry – is presented by Pandora in collaboration with the BFC. The ceremony involves a range of awards, as to be expected, including ‘Designer of The Year’, ‘Cultural Innovator’, ‘Trailblazer’, and ‘Leader of Change’. These awards, winners, and nominees will be discussed in due time in my column; however, I intend to focus this piece on one award in particular: ‘Model of the Year’.

This fashion year was dominated by Consani, with high-profile runway appearances for Jean Paul Gaultier and being the first transgender Victoria’s Secret Angel on the runway

‘Model of the Year Award’, according to the BFC, “recognizes the global impact of a model who, over the last 12 months, has dominated the industry with an influence that transcends the catwalk.” This category had six nominees: Alex Consani, Alva Claire, Amelia Gray, Anok Yai, Liu Wen, and Mona Tougaard. Ultimately, on December 2, it was announced that the winner was Alex Consani – making her the first transgender model with this accolade. This achievement is especially impressive considering she is only 21 years old meaning she was the youngest model to be nominated this year.

This fashion year was dominated by Consani, with high-profile runway appearances for Jean Paul Gaultier and being the first transgender Victoria’s Secret Angel on the runway. Beyond the runway, she has become a sensation on TikTok, gaining over two million followers this year. Consani’s social media presence is reinvigorating the younger generation’s engagement with models and the fashion industry, which is still recovering from a negative reputation gained in the 2000s. She also featured in Charli XCX’s music video for ‘360’ and JT’s music video for ‘Okay’, demonstrating that her influence is transcending the catwalk. In her acceptance speech for the award, she shined a spotlight on the “Black trans women who really fought for the space” in the fashion world. She directly credited Dominique Jackson, Connie Fleming, and Aaron Rose Phillips for their impact.

Consani had a great year, but another nominee, Anok Yai, has been thought by many to have had a better year. Yai, an American fashion model of South Sudanese descent, has been ruling the fashion game in the 2020s. She was nominated for ‘Model of the Year’ in 2023 but was unsuccessful, losing to Paloma Elsesser in 2023. In 2024, she was intensely celebrated for her walk in the Louis Vuitton Men’s autumn/winter show during Paris Fashion Week making waves as the ‘runaway bride’. The switch from elegant to defiant bride was highly complimented by Guram Gvasalia and was the most iconic runway moment of 2024.

Beyond the runway, Yai was featured in Travis Scott’s music video for ‘I KNOW ?’ and became the face of Alien Hypersence, a new fragrance by Mugler. She also had one of the strongest Met Gala looks of 2024, wearing custom Swarovski, with 98,000 gems on her body, representing water for the theme ‘Garden of Time’. Therefore, it is undeniable that she meets the criteria for the award, and with her second nomination, it was expected that she would be successful.

We can celebrate both models: Consani for her growth, her award, and her work for the LGBTQIA+ community, and Yai for her performance artistry on top-level covers

Both Consani and Yai deserve recognition for their achievements in the fashion industry, although Anok Yai expressed frustration with the lack of recognition she is receiving. When Consani won, she tweeted ‘Alex, I love you and I’m so proud of you’ – so any narratives peddling that ‘the girls are fighting’ are misinformed and arguably misogynistic.

Yai also tweeted: ‘British Fashion Council, thank you but I don’t want it anymore’ and said she was “exhausted”. Many people have criticized her for taking attention away from Consani’s moment, but she also received support for her opposition to the institution and for being authentic with her emotions. Irrespectively, we can celebrate both models: Consani for her growth, her award, and her work for the LGBTQIA+ community, and Yai for her performance artistry on top-level covers, shoots, campaigns, and runways. Both models will be immortalised as some of the ‘The Greats’.