Who is Adwoa Aboah, the British model and activist defying conventions?

By Violaine Schütz.

Published on 8 September 2020. Updated on 21 July 2026.

Adwoa Aboah, or the epitome of non-conformism

You might have trouble remembering her name, but you’re not likely to forget her face. A shaved head, caramel complexion, freckles, tomboy allure… British model Adwoa Aboah has been fascinating everyone since her debut in 2016. Her face has seduced not only fashion magazines, but also big brands who can’t get enough of her, like Dior, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Fenty, Coach, Versace, Fendi or H&M. With her trendy, almost punk androgyne silhouette, she turns any outfit into a fashion statement. Her unisex and street-style wardrobe outside the catwalk have made her Instagram account one of the most inspiring to follow. That is also probably why Dazed and Confused put her on their cover accompanied by the title, “The Real Thing.” Indeed, Adwoa’s cool doesn’t lie.

A chaotic life

With the recession, lots of millennials are struggling to find a job. Even more than that, they are struggling to find their place. Born on May 18th, 1992, in London, the little girl of Ghanaian origins symbolises the journey of so many boys and girls of her generation. Daughter of a very successful photo agent and founder of a company that location scouts for luxury brands, Adwoa Aboah had every advantage to launch her career at a young age. Instead, she decided to move away from the big city and go to boarding school at 13.

Different from the others with her gingerbread skin and untamed hair, the teenager had a hard time fitting in. In the series of videos, The What’s Underneath Project, she explains how she just wanted to look like all the other girls in her school and appeal to the boys by being “blond and white with blue eyes…” At 14, she completely isolated herself with alcohol and ketamine as sole companions. Her bipolar condition didn’t help her situation.

An example of resilience

But Adwoa is a fighter. Just like when she decided to quit London as a teenager, she checked herself into rehab in the silence of the Arizona desert. However, being signed by Storm modeling agency at the age of 18 wasn’t enough to prevent her from trying to end her life and ending up in a coma when she was 23. A Christmas miracle happened a year later, after her release from a psychiatric hospital. Thrilled by a new-found lust for life, the young woman decided to move forward without needing the approval of others. Her therapy? Helping other girls and launching Gurls Talk in 2016, a movement that invites women to freely talk about their inner demons. Then, came a series of documentaries tackling themes, such as feminism, periods, equality, gender, mental illness, sexuality…  Her ultimate message? Don’t try to be accepted by society without starting by accepting yourself.

Translated from French by Emma Naroumbo Armaing.