Adwoa Aboah

The catwalker and activist has become a leading light for a generation of young women, overcoming suicidal depression and drug abuse to reach out through her inclusive online platform.

- Helena Lee

To pin down a model in as much demand as Adwoa Aboah in the midst of fashion month is almost impossible. So when nobody answers the door at her rented house off King’s Road in London, I’m not entirely surprised. Then I hear a casual “Hi” behind me and there she is: smaller than one might expect, enveloped in a hoodie and tracksuit pants, clutching a packet of cigarettes and smiling, so I catch a glimpse of those interlocking Chanel Cs stamped on her left front tooth.

I follow her inside, past stacked books on Francisco Toledo and John Singer Sargent (“Sorry about the mess”), and we curl up on opposite corners of a cream sofa covered with a patchwork throw. This is a rare moment of peace for Aboah. Last night, she hosted a party while clad in glitter and Miu Miu. Today, she gets her fix of normality — eating Crunchy Nut cornflakes, watching Ozark on Netflix, replying to emails. The only evidence of her dazzling life is that after our interview, she will be put on a vitamin C drip to stave off an incipient cold.

Aboah descends from fashion royalty. Her mother is Camilla Lowther, agent to such celebrated photographers as Tim Walker and Tom Craig, and her father, Charles Aboah, sources shoot locations. No wonder the 25-year-old brings a dignified knowledge to the clothes she models, which has seen her become an industry superstar. In 2017 alone, she walked for Coach, Versace, Chanel and Fendi, and starred in a Dior campaign. During London fashion week, she opened for Topshop Unique and closed Burberry. First and last impressions count, after all.