Anok Yai is 2025’s Model of the Year

Prada Winter 20238 Images

Though the 2025 Fashion Awards won’t take place until Monday, December 1, the British Fashion Council is doing something a little different this year, announcing the winner of Model of the Year almost a month before the ceremony.

Revealed this morning via the BFC’s Instagram account, Sudanese-American model and former Dazed cover star Anok Yai has been crowned 2025’s biggest modelling star after a stellar year of catwalks and campaigns. Her achievements over the last 12 months include a strong showing during SS26’s fashion month, where she was first out the gate for Ferragamo, Coperni and Hugo Boss, closed Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Vetements and Messikia, and also walked numerous other catwalks including Saint Laurent, Mugler, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta and Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut.

Elsewhere, Yai has starred in campaigns for Mugler’s Alien fragrance and commercial brands like Gap, walked the Victoria Secret runway, magazine covers including Perfect, Vogue France and Allure – the latter of which she shared with last years’ Model of the Year Alex Consani.

Instead of the usual five nominated models making up the category, this year industry experts convened to crown the winner, with no nominations announced beforehand. This jury who were picked to decide Yai’s fate included the BFC’s new CEO Laura Weir, Dazed’s fashion features director Emma Davidson, photographer Campbell Addy, stylist Carlos Nazario, casting director Emma Matell, former Dazed editorial director Kacion Mayers, movement director Pat Boguslawski, and 10 Magazine editor-in-chief Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou.

Outside of the Model of the Year category, 2025’s Fashion Awards are still anyone’s for the taking. The ceremony is due to take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London next month, while the list of nominees were decided back in July. See below to see who’s up for an award and scroll through the gallery above to revisit Yai’s winter 2023 Dazed cover.

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Glenn Martens for Diesel and Maison Margiela

Jonathan Anderson for DIOR and JW Anderson

Martine Rose for Martine Rose

Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu

Rick Owens for Rick Owens

Willy Chavarria for Willy Chavarria

BRITISH WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault for KNWLS

Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena for Chopova Lowena

Erdem Moralıoğlu for ERDEM

Sarah Burton for Givenchy