Did the clothes on this shoot make you feel powerful?

Oh, yeah. Especially the heels. I have a pair of boots from Cerruti – my ex hated the heels – that are so in right now. The look is so great to wear. It’s good to feel powerful.

How do you feel fashion has empowered you?

It’s opened so many doors for me. It’s given me a career. I’m able to pay my bills, help my family, travel the world and I’m very grateful for that. But the most humbling part is the voice it’s given me. I believe we should utilise any power we have for important issues that are bigger and beyond us. Whether it’s with refugees or working to educate kids. I don’t think you need to have gone through a civil war to do something. I believe as human beings we can look out for each other. That’s when I started to work with the US Committee for Refugees and Doctors Without Borders because they put their lives on the line to help save people.

Times were tough when you first started in the fashion industry. How did you keep going?

The fact that designers like Lagerfeld, Gaultier, Galliano and Dior could believe in Alek made me believe in myself too. I had only been out of Sudan six or seven years. I was catching up to a new culture and they totally embraced me. It’s not like I had an easy look. I had to pound the streets of New York with my book. I had two pairs of pants and no money.

Alek Wek: Alpha Female