Early work, 2016–2019 Akech was introduced to the fashion industry by her family, and despite getting scouted multiple times by local modelling agencies when she was 13 and 14 years old, she started her modelling career at 16 years old, signing to her mother agency, Chadwick Models, in
Sydney, Australia. Within the fashion industry, she prefers her birth name, Adut. Akech's runway debut was in a local fashion show, put together by her aunt. She then went on to walk in Melbourne Fashion Week, where she took digitals for a Saint Laurent casting in
Paris Fashion Week. After Melbourne Fashion Week, back home in Adelaide, she got a call from her agent confirming her for the Saint Laurent show, and took a flight to
Paris a day after, making her major Fashion Week debut at Saint Laurent's S/S 17 show and signing to
Elite Model Management in Paris. Since then, Akech has done 4 campaigns and closed 2 shows for Saint Laurent, 1 campaign and 2 shows for
Valentino, one campaign for
Zara, and one campaign for
Moschino, as well as walked for
Alexander McQueen,
Givenchy,
Lanvin,
Loewe,
Miu Miu,
Acne Studios,
Tom Ford,
Tory Burch,
Jason Wu,
Bottega Veneta,
Anna Sui,
Calvin Klein,
JW Anderson,
Simone Rocha,
Burberry,
Off-White, Ellery,
Jil Sander,
Giambattista Valli,
Proenza Schouler and
Versace. She has shot editorials for
American Vogue,
British Vogue,
Vogue Italia,
Vogue Paris,
I-D Magazine,
Le Monde M Magazine,
Modern Matter,
Numéro,
The Gentlewoman,
WSJ.,
T Magazine and
Vogue Australia. Akech has landed magazine covers for
I-D Magazine,
10 Magazine Australia,
Vogue Italia,
British Vogue,
Vogue Australia,
Portrait,
Elle Croatia, ''L'Officiel Singapore
and Le Monde M Magazine''. She is one of the people featured in the 2018
Pirelli Calendar, shot by
Tim Walker, alongside
Sasha Lane,
Lil Yachty,
Sean Combs,
Whoopi Goldberg,
RuPaul,
Adwoa Aboah,
Naomi Campbell and
Slick Woods. She was Melbourne Spring Fashion Week's ambassador for 2019. In 2019,
Who magazine ran a feature about Akech but printed a picture of another model instead of her. Akech said that the error was "unacceptable and inexcusable" and felt that the "entire race has been disrespected."
Who apologised to her for the error. In this year, Akech also started working with the United Nations Refugee Agency to help refugees. In her words, "Refugees are just like everyone else", and she would want to be a positive role model for people that are in similar situations to her upbringing. In 2023, Akech started working with the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, promoting causes to support refugees worldwide.
Rise to prominence, 2020–present In 2020, Adut Akech was featured beside Naomi Campbell in Beyonce's "Black Is King" for the song "Brown Skin Girl". Akech also appeared on the cover of the American Vogue in the same year. In 2022, Akech worked several fall fashion campaigns including
Michael Kors and
Victoria's Secret. Akech was also part of the Hugo Boss and H&M holiday campaign. She also appeared on the cover of the British Vogue and Vogue Italia. Akech was also one of 17 cover models featured on the September issue of The W Magazine as a part of their 50th Anniversary Issue. In 2023 Akech was part of the Victoria's Secret campaign along with Naomi Campbell. Akech also appeared on the American Vogue for the May Issue alongside
Natalia Vodianova,
Devon Aoki,
Naomi Campbell,
Anok Yai,
Gigi Hadid,
Liu Wen,
Amber Valletta,
Shalom Harlow celebrating
Karl Lagerfeld's legacy. In 2024 she was part of the Valentino perfume advertising campaign. ==Personal life==