Since she was first discovered at Howard University’s homecoming in 2017, Anok Yai’s career has skyrocketed, propelling her into a league that includes some of the most sought-after models in the industry. In just a few years, she’s walked high-profile runways around the world, including the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York City and the Vetements show at Paris Fashion Week.
But just when we thought her star couldn’t get any brighter, Yai showed us once again that she is not like us. During a recent appearance on The Sherri Shepherd Show, she opened up about a special relationship she shares with one of the most powerful women in the fashion industry.
Yai told Shepherd that she has email access to Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue – which for someone like Wintour is basically like having her cell number.
“I made it sis,” Yai told Shepherd. “Me and Anna email.”
The supermodel shared that Wintour, who is often depicted as demanding and unapproachable, is actually fun. But Yai was tightlipped when it came to spilling any of the tea from their electronic communication. Instead, she dished that Wintour has given her advice on what to wear to the Met Gala, the star-studded fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute (aka the Super Bowl of fashion). Wintour has overseen the annual event since 1995.
“Anna will tell me what designers she thinks that I should go with for the Met [Gala]. We go back and forth,” she told Shepherd.
Asked whether or not she keeps it casual with the fashion industry leader, Yai replied that she knows better than to get too familiar with the fashion icon.
“I wanna say ‘hey girl,” but I’m always like very proper, you know ‘Hello, Anna,” Yai replied.