Khoudia Diop is dominating the runways of the fashion world. The 23-year-old Senegalese model is one of the biggest names in fashion today, and it’s pretty easy to see why – she’s gorgeous, with her delicate features and flawless complexion. But it hasn’t always been this way for her.
Khoudia’s childhood wasn’t easy. Although her skin tone is quite common in Senegal, she was still teased for it. She was told that she was ugly, and could never be considered beautiful.
But she refused to listen. She fought to be accepted and loved and had the support and encouragement of her friends and family. Later she learned to see her skin for what it is – a unique feature that should be celebrated, not mocked.
Slowly, others around her started seeing what she saw. One day, when she was in high school in Paris, a photographer asked to snap her photo and offered her a path into the modeling world. At first, she declined the offer – she was still in high school, and her education was too important to her. She didn’t know anything about modeling and was afraid to fail. Luckily, her friends had convinced her to give it a shot – and she went for it.
It was soon clear that she was going to be huge in the fashion world. She had it took to be a model – self-discipline, willingness to learn and above all – astonishing beauty.
Today Khoudia is a veteran model no one teases anymore, but she hasn’t forgotten where she came from. She uses her new platform to inspire young girls to celebrate their beauty, no matter the skin tone.
