Ethnic Models ~ Nikki Thot

MELBOURNE student Nikki Thot is the latest Sudanese-born Aussie model to make it in the US and is about to join Ajak Deng at prestigious New York agency IMG Models.

A scout from the agency recently met her Melbourne agent, Stephen Bucknall of FRM Management, and signed her up.

She will head to New York in October.

Thot, 21, was discovered by FRM two years ago while shopping in Chadstone.

"Everyone used to say I would be a good model, but I sort of just brushed it off," she said. "I was kind of concentrating on schoolwork, but I took the chance when I was approached and I guess haven't looked back."

Since then, Thot has become a regular on Aussie catwalks and appeared alongside some of modelling's biggest names for the David Jones parades in Sydney in February.

Thot came to Australia aged four from Sudan and grew up in Clayton.

She is studying nursing in the city, but will give that up now that an international career awaits.

Biography written by Luke Dennehy.