Model of the Quarter – Adeshola Akanji

Adeshola Akanji is a London-based, multi-award-winning model, speaker, and disability advocate whose work sits at the powerful intersection of fashion, leadership, and purpose-driven impact.

As the winner of Iconique Magazine’s Model of the Quarter (Q1 2026), she represents a new and necessary narrative within the industry, one that challenges convention, redefines beauty, and elevates lived experience as a source of strength rather than limitation.

Beginning her modelling journey in her 40s, Adeshola has intentionally disrupted traditional expectations around age, identity, and representation in fashion. What started as a bold step into visibility has evolved into a platform for advocacy, one that speaks not only to aesthetics, but to meaning, resilience, and transformation. Her presence is not just seen; it is felt.

Living with multiple disabilities and neurodivergence, Adeshola brings a perspective that is rarely centred within mainstream fashion and media spaces. Rather than allowing these experiences to define limitations, she has reframed them as leadership tools, informing how she shows up, connects, and influences. Her work consistently challenges the industry to move beyond surface-level diversity and towards authentic, inclusive representation.

Adeshola is also the Founder of Ultimate Royal UK, a platform dedicated to empowering women and individuals with disabilities and long-term health conditions to lead with confidence, clarity, and purpose. Through this work, she integrates modelling, speaking, coaching, and advocacy, demonstrating that visibility can and should be used as a vehicle for impact.

Her growing portfolio reflects both creative excellence and intentional storytelling. From striking editorial shoots to concept-driven visual narratives, Adeshola uses fashion as a language, one that communicates identity, empowerment, and self-reclamation. Her imagery often explores themes of resilience, quiet strength, and bold presence, inviting audiences to see beyond the surface and engage with deeper meaning.

In addition to her modelling achievements, Adeshola’s work has gained significant recognition across media, leadership, and advocacy platforms. She has been featured in international publications including London Weekly Magazine (cover feature), Women on Topp, Women Thrive Media, CEO Times, NY Weekly Magazine, and The Hollywood People Magazine. Her influence extends beyond print into speaking engagements, panels, and global conversations on inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership.

Her recent accolades include the Inspirational Leader Award at the Divas of Colour International Women’s Festival 2026, the Disability Inclusion Leadership Award at the LOSD Excellence Awards, and finalist positions in the UK Top Influencer Awards (Diversity category) and Small Business Awards (Social Impact category). She has also received nominations for the National Diversity Awards, Multicultural Excellence Awards, and She Inspires Awards, recognition that reflects the breadth of her impact.

Adeshola’s presence on platforms such as the Global Tech Advocates Black Women Speaker Bureau further reinforces her role as a voice of influence, particularly in spaces where representation matters. Whether on stage, in front of the camera, or within communities, she consistently brings a message that is both empowering and transformative.

At the core of her work is a clear and unwavering belief: lived experience is not a limitation, it is leadership. This philosophy underpins everything she does, from her visual storytelling to her advocacy work. She is not simply participating in the fashion industry, she is reshaping it.

Winning Iconique Magazine’s Model of the Quarter is not just a recognition of her visual presence, but of her purpose. It acknowledges a model who is redefining what it means to be seen, bringing depth, authenticity, and meaning to every frame.

As her journey continues, Adeshola remains committed to building a legacy that extends beyond fashion, one that empowers others to step into their visibility, own their narrative, and lead with intention.

Because for her, modelling is not just about image.
It is about impact.

I deeply appreciate the support from the Iconique Magazine team and everyone who voted. It is an honour to be part of a platform that continues to elevate diverse voices and perspectives.