From Forever 21 to Kanye West’s Yeezy Show | S1E10: Alioune Badara Fall

In this powerful episode of the Fashion Host Podcast, Top models Vlada Roslyakova and Ines Crnokrak sit down with model, designer, and creative director Alioune Badara Fall. Alioune shares his incredible journey of moving from Senegal to New York City, learning English while working at Forever 21 in Times Square, and secretly walking in Kanye West’s Yeezy show before telling his traditional family about his modeling dreams. He speaks candidly about the systemic challenges African models face, overcoming insecurities about being “too tall” or “too skinny,” and surviving toxic casting directors. Plus, he drops an exclusive announcement about his massive new role as an H&M Ambassador! 00:00 - Intro: Meet model and designer Alioune Badara Fall 01:29 - The cultural shock: Moving from Senegal to New York City 06:33 - Working at Forever 21 and studying fashion aesthetics 08:05 - The turning point: Getting cast in Kanye West’s Yeezy fashion show 11:34 - Hiding his modeling dreams from his traditional family 16:17 - The hustle: Submitting to IMG Models and facing endless rejections 20:00 - Flying to Paris Fashion Week and dealing with casting heartbreaks 25:53 - The reality of being a Black male model in the fashion industry 30:32 - Why African models have to work three times as hard 33:45 - The toxic side of modeling and holding casting directors accountable 44:21 - Creating the “Setou” interview series to share models’ truths 47:50 - Overcoming insecurities about being “too tall” a