Model Aweng Chuol on being a 'camp Black woman' and breaking down barriers

Model Aweng Chuol talks to PORTER about her ambitions and passions outside modeling, her momentous career journey and how she’s coped with the past year. She describes why she assembled a personal team that focuses on her mental wellbeing – having shared her struggles during 2020 on social media and how her upbringing attributed to her decision to share publicly: “I’ve always had that nurturing family member or friends or aunty telling me, ‘Whatever has occurred that is bothering your soul, finish crying and then tell me’. It was never, ‘Pause [your feelings] and tell me now’. I was never rushed. […] I feel like I’m really running social media at my own pace. And some people will appreciate it. Some people will just feel [that] maybe I’m sharing too much. But I don’t think anyone gets to decide how much is too much for someone to release.” 

Chuol never imagined that her career would lend itself to her having a public platform: “I wanted to get into a job where I make enough money in a year to own a house and farm where I’ll have a landline and I will not be on social media.”

Chuol speaks with an effervescence, as a young woman who knows that the world is hers and the possibility for what she can continue to achieve is limitless: “I do have dreams I want to achieve by [age] 25. During quarantine, I ticked off a lot of goals, to be honest, and I am ticking a lot of them this upcoming week and month. Luckily for me, I manifest well and fast. I’ve kind of canceled out a lot of [dreams] because it felt like a lot of pressure to have 115 [to achieve] by the age of 25. That’s just a lot for anybody. I’m going at my own pace, but I am holding myself accountable if I can achieve it.”

Despite Chuol’s self-assuredness, there is still the odd pinch-me moment when the reality of her momentous journey sinks in: “A lot of [people] couldn’t imagine where I’m going. I couldn’t even imagine. Can’t even imagine. I’m a camp Black woman. Right? I am educated. These are things that my great-grandmother would have not even imagined. If I was gay in the 1930s, do you think I could have gone around saying, ‘Hey, I want to be a model’? So, I’ve really kind of pushed down a lot of blocks.”

Referring to her life both on and off the runway, Chuol states: “I’m a very grateful person. I walk with gratitude.”

Chuol was born in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and is the first of 12 siblings: “I grew up in a huge family. My mother is 36 right now. I’m 22, and the youngest are three years old and twins. […] I feel like children are just something my family loves, and even my friends who came to know me ended up having, like, six children of their own. We all thought she [Choul’s mother] was going to stop, but she loves children. She loves raising children and just kept on going – and thankfully we all turned out kind of alright.”

Over the past two years alone, Chuol has traveled to more than 60 countries because of her work and can see herself eventually living in Malawi or Madagascar, even though these are places she has never been. But, for now, it is New York that has her heart: “Everyone is sort of young and if you go to the right areas, there’s lots of young people,” she says of feeling akin to the community there. “I love to go to Miss Lily’s [a Caribbean diner] in SoHo. I’ll go on my own for dinner and then come back with six strangers.”

Aside from modeling, Chuol is in law school, plays the piano and is training to become an actor, despite her mother’s ambitions for her to become a news anchor: “I got into law school at 17. I remember thinking that was the dream [she] had for me. I could have [become an anchor]. I could have really, really done that. And I would have done it faster and I wouldn’t have been as stressed as I am in law school right now.”

Chuol’s expectations extend far beyond the self. She has been tuned in to politics since graduating from high school: “I started wanting to know what’s going on in the world and that can become overwhelming. I’m very hopeful, in a sense, for the future generation. I hope we do get it together and get a hold of climate change and the planet.”

At the end of a heavy year, Chuol explains that she is remaining full of hope: “I’m a very hopeful person, just by nature. I am hopeful for the world.”

Interview highlights

Aweng Chuol on why she shared her struggles with mental health on social media: “I’ve always had that nurturing family member or friends or aunty telling me, ‘Whatever has occurred that is bothering your soul, finish crying and then tell me’. It was never, ‘Pause [your feelings] and tell me now’. I was never rushed. I feel like I’m really running social media at my own pace. And some people will appreciate it. Some people will just feel [that] maybe I’m sharing too much. But I don’t think anyone gets to decide how much is too much for someone to release.”

Aweng Chuol on her expectations for her career: “I wanted to get into a job where I make enough money in a year to own a house and farm where I’ll have a landline and I will not be on social media.”

Aweng Chuol on achieving her dreams: “I do have dreams I want to achieve by [age] 25. During quarantine, I ticked off a lot of goals, to be honest, and I am ticking a lot of them this upcoming week and month. Luckily for me, I manifest well and fast. I’ve kind of canceled out a lot of [dreams] because it felt like a lot of pressure to have 115 [to achieve] by the age of 25. That’s just a lot for anybody. I’m going at my own pace, but I am holding myself accountable if I can achieve it.”

Aweng Chuol on breaking down barriers: “A lot of [people] couldn’t imagine where I’m going. I couldn’t even imagine. Can’t even imagine. I’m a camp Black woman. Right? I am educated. These are things that my great-grandmother would have not even imagined. If I was gay in the 1930s, do you think I could have gone around saying, ‘Hey, I want to be a model’? So, I’ve really kind of pushed down a lot of blocks.”

Aweng Chuol on her achievements in her career and personal life: “I’m a very grateful person. I walk with gratitude.”

Aweng Chuol on her upbringing: “I grew up in a huge family. My mother is 36 right now. I’m 22, and the youngest are three years old and twins. I feel like children are just something my family love, and even my friends who came to know me ended up having, like, six children of their own. We all thought she [Choul’s mother] was going to stop, but she loves children. She loves raising children and just kept on going – and thankfully we all turned out kind of alright.”

Aweng Chuol on living in New York: “Everyone is sort of young and if you go to the right areas, there’s lots of young people,” she says of feeling akin to the community there. “I love to go to Miss Lily’s [a Caribbean diner] in SoHo. I’ll go on my own for dinner and then come back with six strangers.”

Aweng Chuol on studying law: “I got into law school at 17. I remember thinking that was the dream [she] had for me. I could have [become an anchor]. I could have really, really done that. And I would have done it faster and I wouldn’t have been as stressed as I am in law school right now.”

Aweng Chuol on her political interests: “I started wanting to know what’s going on in the world and that can become overwhelming. I’m very hopeful in a sense for the future generation. I hope we do get it together and we do get a hold of climate change and the planet.”

Aweng Chuol on her feelings after a heavy year: “I’m a very hopeful person, just by nature. I am hopeful for the world.”

To see the full interview, read PORTER Or download the NET-A-PORTER app for iPhone, iPad and Android.

See also: Hunter Schafer on her burgeoning acting career and 2021 passion projects