Florence Baitio

About Florence Baitio

Florence Baitio is a South Sudanese-Australian fashion model based in Perth, Western Australia. Born in a refugee camp in Uganda, she was raised there by her mother alongside her five siblings before moving with her family to Australia at the age of seven in 2005. Her parents had fled South Sudan before Florence was born, seeking refuge in neighbouring Uganda. She has spoken openly about the difficulties of adjusting to life in Australia, including experiences with racism, colorism and struggling to accept her appearance while growing up. Over time, she developed a stronger sense of self-confidence and began embracing the qualities that once made her feel different.

Baitio entered the modeling industry while building a following on social media, where her striking appearance and distinctive personal style quickly attracted attention. One of her early career highlights came when she was approached through Instagram by Freedom Couture, a premium wig company, to appear in a makeover video. The resulting YouTube campaign became a major success, receiving more than five million views and giving Baitio a significant boost in confidence as she pursued modeling more seriously.

Her career has since developed into the international fashion and editorial world. Baitio has appeared in publications and creative projects including Tank Magazine's *Riding High*, SHOWstudio's *Bodies of Knowledge*, and a HUNGER Magazine x Chanel Beauty editorial photographed by Baard Lunde in 2022. She has been represented by Muumaa Model Management in London as her mother agency and has also been represented internationally by Trend Model Management in Barcelona.

Baitio has also become known for confidently embracing her dark skin and challenging conventional ideas of beauty within the fashion industry. In 2021, a photograph of Baitio circulated online alongside a false claim that she had been recognized by Guinness World Records as the woman with the darkest skin in the world. The photograph was incorrectly identified as being of South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech, but fact-checkers later confirmed that the woman pictured was actually Baitio. Neither Baitio nor Gatwech has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for having the darkest skin.

Beyond modeling, Baitio has spoken about the importance of self-love and individuality. She has described fashion as a way to experiment, step outside her comfort zone and express different sides of her personality. Earlier in her career, she named Rihanna as one of her dream clients and expressed an ambition to work with Gucci, while also citing Chanel's designers as among her favourites. Today, Baitio continues to develop her international modeling career while using her social-media presence to showcase fashion, beauty and her distinctive sense of style.