Best known for her participation in fashion shows, Rebecca Ayoko is one of those runway goddesses who can stun and stir observers in just about anything she wears.
See what I mean? :-D
Originally from the African nation of Togo, a former French colony, Rebecca Ayoko made her way to Paris in 1980 and met Hachette Filipacchi Magazines' Regis Pagniez, then the director of the French men's magazine Lui but later the publication director and founder of the U.S. edition of Elle. ("Lui" is French for him; "Elle" is French for "her." Get it? :-) ) One thing led to another, and Ms. Ayoko signed with the Glamour modeling agency in Paris.
But while Ms. Ayoko did her share of print work (as in the photo above), she made her mark on the runways. She met Yves Saint Laurent and became his muse, becoming one of the most prominent black models in Paris in the 1980s as a result. She earned the nickname "Queen Of the Studio" for all the time Yves Saint Laurent had her try out his creations as he was working on them.
In 2012, she published an autobiography, titled "Quand les étoiles sont noirs" ("When The Stars Are Black"), which she dedicated to her two children. Sorry, I don't think there's an English translation.
