Each year, Karl Lagerfeld ends the Chanel Couture show by sending a model—hand selected by the creative director himself—down the runway in an unconventional wedding gown, along with the fashion house's resident kid model, Hudson Kroenig. At this year's Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2018 show in Paris, Sudanese model Adut Akech Bior made history as the second black model to close out the Chanel Couture show, joining the likes of Chanel bride alums like Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Luna Bijl, and more.
"Wow where do I even begin. After opening the last Chanel cruise show, I honestly didn’t think it could get any better but I was wrong because I just closed this one," she wrote on Instagram. "There is no amount of words that can express what this moment means to me. The beauty of having a dream, is watching it come to life."
Bior was dressed in a mint green two-piece tweed suit featuring a foliage pattern, embellished with sequins on the front of the jacket and along the sides of the skirt.
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"Cannot believe I just made history by being Chanel’s second black couture bride, this is one of my most proudest achievement!!! @karllagerfeld @amandaharlech@aurelieduclos and the whole Chanel team thank you so much from the deepest bottom of my heart for once again believing in me," she continued. "It was a life time honour being the chosen bride to close your beautiful show in the MOST breathtaking dress I have ever seen in my life. This was just a special moment that I will always remember and cherish for as long as I live."
Before Bior graced the Chanel Couture runway, fellow Sudanese model Alek Wek became the first black model to land the prestigious honor in 2004.
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Prior to joining the team, she was an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. In her current role, she helps lead coverage on makeup, skin care, hair, and fragrances. With over six years of experience in the world of beauty editorial, Nerisha enjoys delving deep into the complexities of fragrance notes, hunting for the best fixes for acne-prone skin, and advocating for daily sunscreen use. She regularly researches and tests the latest products, consults beauty professionals (including our Beauty Advisory Board) to determine the best expert-approved formulas to recommend, and conducts interviews with luminaries across the industry. Nerisha received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Temple University before joining the editorial teams at Nylon and Billboard. In 2020, she co-launched our popular franchise The State of Black Beauty, an ongoing exploration of—and destination for—beauty at the intersection of Black culture.
