Adesuwa Aighewi was rejected by several agencies for being "too black," but it was her perseverance that led to her be named 'Supermodel in the Making' by Vogue and to win Models.com's industry vote for Second Breakout Star of the Year in 2018. Aighewi wrote an essay for The Guardian in 2017 addressing diversity issues with the industry, claiming "I can be whatever I want to be" and earning her status as one of the models who is changing the industry from the inside out.