Meet Adut Akech, The South Sudanese Beauty Walking Every Major Autumn Catwalk

Adut Akech owes a lot to Saint Laurent. Booked on the strength of a series of digitals, this was the house where she made her European catwalk debut: an exclusive strut at the spring/summer 2017 show wearing a gold lamé disco dress, super-sized tassel earrings and patent black boots. The south Sudanese model with the Adelaide twang - she was born in Kakuma refugee camp, in Kenya, and emigrated to Australia aged six - began catwalking at the age of 12, when her boutique-owning aunt asked her to model in her low-key fashion show, but Saint Laurent, naturally, was far higher stakes: "After that, it all took off," the 18-year-old confirms. Cue campaigns, more catwalk outings, plus the obligatory British Vogue editorials.

Every season, there's a girl who's everywhere and for autumn/winter 2018, it's Adut. In New York she strutted for Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta and Calvin Klein. In London, she stole the show at Simone Rocha, JW Anderson and Burberry. On to Milan, and she was holding court at Versace, Fendi and Prada. As for Paris? She was back in her Saint Laurent boots, waltzing in characteristically leonine fashion in a strong-shouldered 1980s mini dress. More major brands are slated to book her later this week.

It's all a long way from home, which is now a two-bedroom apartment shared with an Aussie friend, in Williamsburg, New York, but was once the sunshine-soaked Australian shores. Back in Adelaide, Adut was known as Mary. It's been satisfying to shed her Christian name now her star is on the ascent. "A lot of people took advantage of the fact that Adut is a bit hard to pronounce," she says, when we meet in New York. "Mary was always easier, at school. But after I signed for an international modelling agency, I knew I would change it back to Adut. I haven't met any other models with my name."

This is one savvy, sassy teenager with a sharp focus, a serious work ethic and an extraordinary face - there is, simply, no one that looks quite like her. No wonder she namechecks the supers Alek Wek and Naomi Campbell as her modelling idols - the latter of whom she now counts as her "second mum". "We met on the Pirelli calendar shoot [styled by Edward Enninful] in April last year, and I never thought there would be a friendship - but we got along instantly," she smiles. "We met again at the Saint Laurent show in September when she came backstage, and we exchanged numbers. Now, she checks up on me all the time in New York, like, 'Hey baby, are you eating? Are you sleeping?'"

What does the future hold? "I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life," she says. "I never thought, at eighteen, I'd have my own apartment, renting in a new country. I was dying for the new year to start." She sighs, giddy at the thought. "I'm a grown woman - I'm eighteen!" She's got the world at her Saint Laurent-shod feet.