Model Ajak Deng returns as face of Melbourne Fashion Week

South Sudanese-born Australian supermodel Ajak Deng has returned home as a face of the new Melbourne Fashion Week, but while the international icon is continuing to reach new heights in her modeling career, she says it's still a struggle to win favour with her Australian connections.

She's an internationally renown supermodel, fresh from the runways of New York, Vienna, Frankfurt, and Singapore.

But Ajak Deng said the South Sudanese-Australian community remains largely unimpressed.

"They look at it as more of negative thing, like you should be going to school, not doing modelling because that's just a waste of time," she said.

Ajak Deng in Dion Lee Source: SBS

Granted asylum in 2005, just a few years later her skill on the runway had her in demand with designers such as Louis Vuitton and Valentino.

But Deng said her career choice has been divisive for some of her family.

"They feel embarrassed, they feel humiliated by me for choosing what I'm doing because that's obviously not success."

Deng returns to Australia as a face of Melbourne Fashion Week, with the event continuing to push the boundaries of diversity.

Ajak Deng one of the faces of MFW Source: SBS

South Korean-born Australian fashion designer Yeojin Bae said the fashion industry is slowly becoming more inclusive.

"I think more and more runways should show and reflect the consumers in the market place. We have the different body shapes and the different nationalities, I think it's really important." 

But Deng said it's a difficult industry for dark-skinned models.

"You don't get the same respect as the Caucasian girls. Like I could show up to work with some girls, and I won't name names, but I'll show up to work with some girls on my level and they get better treatment than I could."

Melbourne Fashion Week was where Deng began her career in 2008, and she describes the event as a welcome homecoming, particularly after almost retiring from the industry last year.

In February 2016, Deng announced she was officially done with an industry she describes as racist.

Less than a month later she was back on the runway, persevering for the sake of others like her.

Deng Instagram post Source: Instagram

"I get messages: 'Oh you inspire me to do this, you inspire me to wake up every day and love my skin color'.

"That to me means a lot because that used to be me. I would wake up and say: 'Oh, I wish I was a shade lighter' but now I've grown to love myself."

Melbourne Fashion Week begins on the 1st of September.