Meet Awar Odhiang, the model who just went viral after Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show
The South Sudanese-Canadian model closed Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut show at Paris Fashion Week with a bang – so who is she exactly?
The rising star was radiating with joy as she glided on the ramp, clapping in honour of the flawless finale before running to embrace the French luxury maison’s new artistic director.
The moment instantly went viral, not only for its warmth and spontaneity, but also as a representation of the fresh energy Blazy is injecting into the house of Chanel.
Speaking to Vogue, Odhiang explained that the moment was unplanned. “[Blazy] had told me, ‘This is your moment, this is a chance for you to just enjoy it, do what you do, and do you,’ and so that’s exactly what I did.”
Here’s everything to know about Awar Odhiang.
What’s Awar Odhiang’s background?
Odhiang was born into a family belonging to the Anuak tribe from South Sudan, according to the Calgary Herald. Her mother, Achalla Opiew, fled her homeland to escape the civil war and gave birth to Odhiang in a refugee camp in Pinyudo, Ethiopia, per Vogue. She has six siblings, and her younger sister Nepapery Odhiang is a model too.
The family eventually moved to Canada and settled down in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, before shifting to Calgary when Odhiang was 16. Odhiang and her father are dedicated to philanthropic work in South Sudan.
How was she discovered?
