Noah Alef is 26 years old, but from a young age he knew what it meant to work to support himself. That’s why the young man from Brazil began earning his own money when a supermarket chain hired him as a bagger at one of its branches.
But that wasn’t enough. Since the money still wasn’t sufficient, Alef had to look for a second job. That’s how he also became an assistant to a local painter.
Even so, despite having two jobs, it wasn’t what Noah wanted for his life. One of his biggest dreams was to become a runway model, but he thought he would never achieve it. The reason? He is of Pataxó origin, a small Indigenous community in Bahia, a region of Brazil.
The young man knew very well that being Indigenous set him apart from the typical European model stereotype. Even so, he decided to try his luck on social media, aiming to become an influencer and make a name for himself in the industry.
Fortunately, thanks to Noah’s effort and perseverance, within a few months his social media accounts started growing rapidly. On TikTok he already has more than 1.7 million followers, and on Instagram, 290,000 users enjoy his content daily.
Noah Alef’s strategy hit the mark. Today, he has become a runway model just as he always dreamed. Armani, the renowned Italian fashion brand, recently hired him to take part in their latest show in the city of Milan, where Fashion Week is currently being held.
“Every day I think about what I’ve gone through to get here. How long did it take me to get here? I’m very happy for my perseverance and for always believing in this dream (…) I want Indigenous beauty to be more valued! The goal is to give visibility to my people through fashion and draw attention to the many challenges we face.”
Noah Alef to Terra.
Today, Noah has two clear goals: to continue modeling in order to create space for the Indigenous community in the fashion industry. The second is more personal—saving money from his runway work so he can buy a house for his mother. He is grateful.
