The definition of brains and beauty, Kenyan personality, Acheing Agutu is reshaping what it means to show up in the world as fully and unapologetically yourself.
From the runway of Miami Swim Week to the glossy pages of Vogue and Sports Illustrated, Achieng is nothing short of a force to be reckoned with. But it’s not just her model-worthy looks or magnetic presence that has the world sitting up and paying attention — it’s her unapologetic, bold brand of confidence that has made her an icon.
If you’ve been following her journey, you may have witnessed her rise to fame in a way that resonates with many in the age of social media.
Her daily affirmations, empowering messages and unfiltered moments sparked a global movement that soon translated from viral content to real- life powerhouses like those seen on INFLUENCED , the Gen Z talk show on Amazon Prime Video produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Here, Achieng uses her platform to create spaces where real conversations about confidence, identity and representation take centre stage. For her, this isn’t just about being a digital sensation; it’s about breaking barriers in fashion, media and beyond.
Kisumu to NYC — the surreal, sacred shift
At just 16, Achieng left the comfort of her Kenyan home to pursue her education in the US — a defining moment in her career and personal life. “Leaving felt like peeling off a part of myself that wasn’t done growing,” she says. “I was scared— but I didn’t flinch.” That moment marked the birth of Achieng’s relentless determination, teaching her the power of trusting herself loudly even when the world around her was silent. “It ignited the hustler in me, the soft rebel. I had to fight gracefully for the life I knew I deserved. And I learned to take up space — loudly.
She still pinches herself thinking about it. “I’m really here,” she says, waking up in New York, the city of dreams, doing work she once only fantasised about in the quiet afternoons back home in Kisumu. For Achieng, it doesn’t feel random, it feels perfectly aligned. “I didn’t leave Kenya to escape; I left to expand,” she shares. “It feels magical, yes, but also deeply in sync with my journey. I’m not following someone else’s version of success — I’m living in my own design. Boldly, purposefully, unapologetically.”
Owning intimidating spaces From panel discussions with corporate titans to magazine covers with supermodels, Achieng has faced intimidating spaces where she was often the only Black woman in the room. But her presence? Unmistakable. “The first time I truly owned a space that intimidated me was on a panel where everyone else had titles that could fill a CV,” she laughs. “I walked in anxious but left roaring. I realised I didn’t need to shrink. My voice could shape the room. My energy could shift it.” From that moment, she never walked into a room with doubt again — she entered with presence. Now dubbed “Confidence Queen”, it’s hard to imagine that she’s ever felt less than what she is capable of. Leaning into the conversation, she admits that there was a time when she didn’t feel as confident in her own skin. Like many of us she’s had seasons where her glow felt dim. “I’ve had my moments. I’ve been there,” she admits. “The comments got loud, the comparisons even louder, and I started shrinking in places I used to dance. What pulled me through? Grace, community and my own refusal to settle."
She asserts that confidence isn’t something you put on but something you build. “I picked up joy piece by piece, like a mosaic. I wrote myself back into existence. Now? The foundation is solid.” And on tough days, her version of confidence is more about survival than perfection. “Confidence looks like showing up in sweatpants and still calling myself that girl. It’s posting something vulnerable even when my hands tremble. It’s quiet power — the kind that doesn’t need a spotlight to be seen. Some days it’s just surviving, some days it’s a soft celebration. But it’s always mine.” She shares that the journey to her becoming the woman we know and love has been a process. “I had to teach myself. I had to be the voice in my own ear, saying, ‘You’re doing it. Keep going.’” She shares that her internal hype woman was born from cancelled plans, silent nights and every time she refused to be stopped by a “no”. This is the reason she shows up for herself like it’s her job — because it is. “I show up for me like nobody else will,” she declares, “and it’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever done.
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