Hello Fashion Monthly - March 2019

Infallible 24HR

Freshwear Foundation

in Dark Amber,

£9.99, L’Oréal Paris

W

e can’t take our
eyes off Duckie Thot
backstage at Paris
Fashion Week. She’s
getting ready to walk
in Le Défilé L’Oréal
Paris, a floating catwalk that the cosmetics
giant is staging on the Seine – and she’s
buzzing about being in the French capital.
“I think it’s amazing here; the fashion,
the drive, how real people are – just their
creativity. I always work with the most
amazing teams in Paris.” Real name
Nyadak Thot, Duckie, now 23, was born in
Melbourne to Sudanese parents who had
fled the country’s civil war. She considers
herself fortunate to have been raised in
Australia but admits that, to
make it in the world of fashion,
she had to relocate to New
York – where she’s taken up
residence in Brooklyn.
“I got inspired to get into
modelling from my sister,”
she recalls. Duckie’s sister is
Nikki Perkins, a model and
popular YouTuber. “I used to
sit on set and watch her work.
I thought the whole process,
everyone coming together
to create, was so inspiring.
That’s where it all started.”
A stint on Australia’s
Next Top Model followed –
she placed third. And soon
after, stylist Edward Enninful
(now editor-in-chief at British
Vogue) plucked her from
relative obscurity to appear
in Pirelli’s high-profile 2018
calendar. Shot by Tim Walker,
it was an all-black retelling
of Alice in Wonderland.

WORDSCHARLOTTE JOLLY

IT’S

DUCKIE,

DARLI NG

Duckie starred as Alice, alongside the

likes of Naomi Campbell, Whoopi

Goldberg, RuPaul and Adwoa Aboah.

Her catwalk debut was for Kanye West’s

Yeezy line and she’s since closed the

Savage x Fenty lingerie show for ‘mentor’

Rihanna. “She’s just the coolest lady in the

whole world,” Duckie says. There have also

been castings for Moschino, Balmain and

Oscar de la Renta. As well as a coveted spot

on the Victoria’s Secret runway (something

she’s been “working towards” for some

time) and a contract with L’Oréal Paris, as

its global spokesperson. “I’m honoured to

represent a brand that celebrates infinite

ways to be beautiful and makes products

for all women,” she tells us.

To find shades for her skin tone, Duckie

ordered make-up online, from the US or

UK, growing up. When she first started

modelling, she would turn up on set

with her own foundation and, on a now

infamous episode of Australia’s Next Top

Model, she resorted to braiding her own

hair when her hairstylist couldn’t.

For the model dubbed ‘Black Barbie’,

a title which Duckie says she’ll “take”,

meeting make-up artist and champion of

diversity Pat Mcgrath was the pinnacle.

“When I saw her for the first time, I

almost fainted. I love her and I think the

work she did back in the day, what she

did atiDmagazine, was just so cool.”

Talking about her new cosmetics

contract, Duckie explains: “I’m looking

forward to helping more girls love the

beauty of their dark skin.” But it has to be

said, her own beauty regime is relatively

low maintenance. She says she’s big on

hydration because she likes her skin to

have a dewy finish. “I use a

face mist on flights, I do a

mask at night and drink lots

of water. Water is my number

one beauty tip. I know it sounds

a bit clichéd but honestly, it

makes the hugest difference.”

As well as running five miles

a day (“it’s gruelling during

fashion month to get the workouts in

but running is my favourite”), Duckie’s

essential products are brow gel, a great

lipgloss and L’Oréal Paris’ Volume Million

Lashes Mascara So Couture, £10.99. And

what’s her foundation shade? She opts for

the Dark Amber hue from L’Oréal Paris’

Infallible 24HR Freshwear range.

So is the industry becoming more

inclusive? “Oh, it has improved times

one thousand,” she enthuses, as one

of the original faces to front Rihanna’s

ground-breaking Fenty Beauty line. “I am

so glad to be part of this revolution. So

many different brands are changing it

up and being more diverse. It’s so cool.”

And Duckie says she’s trying to soak

up every minute of her “surreal”

circumstances – she admits she’s currently

reading Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now.

“In my mind, I’m going back in time and

telling the young girl I was: dream big,

work hard and trust in yourself girl!”

BELOW LEFT

Duckie walking in

Moschino’s SS19

runway show

Brow Artist Plumper

in Medium Dark,

£5.99, L’Oréal Paris

She’s the doll-faced model from

down under who’s been dubbed

‘Black Barbie’. Duckie tells HFM how

the industry is becoming more inclusive

Gloss Bomb

Universal Lip

Luminizer in

Fenty Glow,

£16, Fenty Beauty