L’Oréal Paris names Sudanese model Duckie Thot as new global ambassador
The brand new face of L’Oréal Paris is making a huge stand for inclusion and representation as Nyadak “Duckie” Thot is the cosmetic company’s newest brand ambassador.
Thot, whose family escaped the war torn Sudan for Melbourne, Australia, was once bullied by a fellow model because of her natural hair and skin tone. Now, she will be one of the faces of the world renown brand.
“I’m looking forward to helping more girls love the beauty of their dark skin,” Thot said in a statement, Allure reported. “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 because one day you’re going to say ‘yes’ to the number-one beauty brand!’”
Thot has appeared in major campaigns for designers including Moschino and Oscar de la Renta and was a featured face for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. She admitted earlier this year that she still has to bring her own foundation to shoots because makeup artists still often don’t often carry shades dark enough to match her skin.
Thot was reportedly introduced to the modeling industry in Melbourne, by her sister, Nikki Perkins, and eventually auditioned for season eight of Australia’s Next Top Model, where she finished third.
She eventually moved to Brooklyn and eventually signing with New York Model Management. Thot acknowledged her new gig as a L’Oréal ambassador on her Instagram page.
Reality TV fans may remember that Duckie came in third on the 8th season of Australia’s Top Model in 2013. She started going by “Duckie” when teachers and classmates couldn’t pronounce her first name growing up in Australia.
In the press release on the partnership, the brand’s global president, Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, said, “Her energy and message of inclusivity makes her a perfect recruit for the L’Oréal Paris family: original and confident in her self-worth.”
