Alek Wek, black model, who worked for Gucci, Fendi, Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, YSL, Valentino and Michael Kors, and was on People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” and “50 Most Influential Faces in Fashion” lists, was born this day 28 years ago in Sudan.

The name of African beauty, Alek Wek [Uh Lek], means "the-black-and-white-cow" in Dinka's tribe language and was supposed to bring her luck. After the civil war started in her native village, the family had to leave their home and look for safer place for nine children. The capital, Khartoum, became their temporary shelter for some time, but that is where Alek lost her father who died in a hospital. As older sister of Wek has already moved to London, Alek and her younger sister were sent to her in 1991.

She was a fast learner, so language barrier wasn't a problem for her. Having finished high school in London, she entered the London College of Fashion to study fashion technology and business.

In the summer of 1995, the black beauty was accidentally spotted by Fiona Ellis, the scout of the Models One agency, while shopping. She offered a future star to try herself as a model and very soon the world saw Alek in a Tina Turner video.

Thanks to her exceptional look, unusual for European and American divas, she has been noticed by famous design houses and started to work for Ford agency in Paris in 1996. Then was New York, US and Italy and she has won a number of prestigious fashion awards, including "Best New Model" at the Venus de la Mode Fashion Award, 1997 MTV model of the year, and "Model of the Decade" from i-D in a year.

Her appearance on haute couture scene has arosed a vivid discussion about what beauty really is in fashion world. As Alek Wek is one of not many models from Africa who made it there, a lot  was said about beauty standard differences in white and black cultures and whether the model was beautiful or "plain ugly." In any case, Alek Wek is considered to be an African ethnic beauty by many.

In 2002, according to The Sunday Times Paylist, Alek Wek was one the most expensive top models, having earned 2.7 million pounds in a year.

Alek also tried herself as a designer – the same year she launched her own handbag line, inspired by African culture and her expressive paintings. For the line's name she chose her father's birth year – Wek 1933. The debut collection reached such high-end stores like Barney’s and Maxfield.

In 2004 the Alek became the face of the Cape Town Fashion Week. Gavin Rajah, a coordinator for the event, explained the choice – Alek is believed to be a success story for the African continent.

In her free time Alek tries to help the people of Africa and is a member of the US Committee For Refugees' Advisory Council. She also issued an aid program called Doctors Without Borders, to show the life after war in Sudan.

In her interview to Imen, the model explained her vision of fashion: "I believe that true beauty comes from inside you and that always shows through. I have no problem with whatever the next big look is, whether it's big blonde hair and blue eyes or green hair and dark eyes. That's fine so long as there isn't just one ideal image. Don't try and tell me that only one look is beautiful!"