Image via Instagram 
 
 Since Ajak Deng was spotted in 2008, she's been one of Australia's most successful model exports. Over almost a decade she's walked for Dior, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Marc Jacobs, Chloe and Jean Paul Gaultier and starred in an armful of global campaigns. Despite her success, Ajak announced on Instagram today that she is "officially done with the fashion industry." 
 
 She explained that she is giving up her career because she "can no longer deal with the fakes and the lies. My life is too short for this dramatic life." Adding that she planned to move back to Australia to "live the life that I fully deserved. Which is real life." 
 
 Despite her impending flight back home, don't expect Ajak to appear on Australian runways either. The model's manager Stephen Bucknall followed her announcement, commenting that she'd always struggled to book work in Australia because the industry's bias towards white models: "They'll book the big Caucasian girls, spend the big dollars, and fly them in from LA, but I'm yet to see them book a dark skinned girl in that way." 
 
 Ajak's family fled Sudan for Australia in 2005. Before they were settled here, she lost her mother to malaria in a Kenyan refugee camp. Over the course of her career Ajak's been vocal about her struggles with racism in the industry and in her daily life. In 2014 she said "'I go back to Melbourne and think I'm going home and someone will say 'You don't belong here' and I'm like "Well I grew up here. What do you mean I don't belong here?" That same year she Tweeted that she was "kicked out of Balmain for being black" and "I know a lot of black models would rather kiss someone's a** than being honest but guessed what? I do not gaged a damn f*** [sic]." She later deleted her account. 
 
 The former model's decision seems to have brought her some peace, she followed her Instagram announcement with a picture of her smiling, face turned to the sun, with the caption, "Thank you for your blessings God". But it's heartbreaking she was forced out of her career to find it. ||||| Hot on the news of Cindy Crawford’s graceful exit from modeling, the industry is losing another seasoned vet, Ajak Deng. The 26-year-old high-fashion runway regular announced she’s retiring from modeling on Tuesday to leave a life she calls too “dramatic.” 
 
 Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho via Getty 
 
 She announced her departure on Instagram, saying, “I am happy to announce that I am officially done with the fashion industry, I will be moving back to Australia in order to live the life that I fully deserved. Which is real life.” 
 
 Put your best foot forward. I am happy to announce that I am officially done with the fashion industry, I will be moving back to Australia In order to live the life that I fully deserved. Which is real life. I can no longer deal with the fakes and the lies. My life is too short for this dramatic life. I am thankful and grateful for every sweet souls that I have crossed path with. 😘😘✌🏿️🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿✌🏿✌🏿 A photo posted by AJAK DENG (@ajak_deng) on Feb 23, 2016 at 7:25am PST 
 
 She doesn’t stop there, though: “I can no longer deal with the fakes and the lies. My life is too short for this dramatic life. I am thankful and grateful for every sweet souls that I have crossed path with.” 
 
 Deng followed her announcement with an Instagram thanking God for his blessings. 
 
 Thank you for your blessings God. A photo posted by AJAK DENG (@ajak_deng) on Feb 23, 2016 at 8:46am PST 
 
 The news comes just a week after a successful NYFW schedule, walking in some of the hottest shows of the season, including Tome, Sophie Theallet, Zac Posen and Marc Jacobs. (She’s also starring in several major spring campaigns, including Barneys New York and Philipp Plein.) 
 
 @themarcjacobs @kegrand @bitton and on this team thank you so much. Xoxo A photo posted by AJAK DENG (@ajak_deng) on Feb 19, 2016 at 8:44am PST 
 
 #ZacPosen F/W16. Xoxo A photo posted by AJAK DENG (@ajak_deng) on Feb 16, 2016 at 8:11am PST 
 
 #TomeNYC F/W16. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be apart of your beautiful collection @tomenyc 😘😘😘😘 A video posted by AJAK DENG (@ajak_deng) on Feb 14, 2016 at 7:56am PST 
 
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 The model was originally from South Sudan, but fled to Melbourne in 2005. She began her career in high school, after being scouted by FRM director Stephen Bucknall in 2008 and later teamed up with IMG Model Management, where she landed major shows including Chloé, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier and Lanvin runways in 2010. 
 
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 According to IMG, Deng credits fashion editor Edward Enninful and photographer Emma Summerton for catapulting her career when she landed the cover of i-D magazine in 2011 (and for Enninful’s recent birthday she sent him a sweet message on Instagram, saying he’s “always been so supportive” toward her). 
 
 Happy birthday @edward_enninful, thank you for loving me and for getting me into @wmag, you have always been so supportive to me and I swear to God that I will return the favor. You might not know how much I love you but I love you so much and with all of my heart. I hope you had such an earthful birthday. 😘😘😘😘😘 thank you always and might God blessed your soul. A video posted by AJAK DENG (@ajak_deng) on Feb 22, 2016 at 10:59am PST 
 
 What do you think of the news? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 
 
 — Colleen Kratofil ||||| Supermodel Ajak Deng is�?saddened there isn’t more work for dark skinned girls in Australia’. 
 
 MELBOURNE supermodel Ajak Deng’s manager says the Australian fashion industry prefers to spend big budgets on “caucasian girls” rather than “dark skinned” models. 
 
 Stephen Bucknall, of FRM Model Management, said he struggles to book Australian jobs for Deng, who has starred overseas for Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino, and will feature in 2016 campaigns for Givenchy and Marc Jacobs. 
 
 Bucknall told Confidential: “Ajak has said to me many times, it saddens her there isn’t more work for dark skinned girls in Australia, as she would like to book more work here. 
 
 “The budgets probably aren’t big enough for (Deng), because she’s a big money earner, but they will spend the money on a Miranda Kerr or a Jess Hart. 
 
 “They’ll book the big caucasian girls, spend the big dollars, and fly them in from LA, but I’m yet to see them book a dark skinned girl in that way,” Bucknall said. 
 
 He added: “The Australian market doesn’t want to take the risk of using darker models as mainstream models. But if you go to New York, you’ll see African American, Asian, and all these diverse cultures. Australia just doesn’t get it.” 
 
 Deng has featured in local campaigns for River Island and Mimco. 
 
 Multicultural models from the FRM stable, including Deng’s sister Sahara, will walk in the upcoming Melbourne Fashion Festival. 
 
 Bucknall has also signed former Neighbours star Krista Vendy for modelling work. 
 
 FRM’s celebrity division includes reality star Suzi Taylor, presenter Lee Chan and wrestler Orlando Jordan.
– Ajak Deng—whom Vice calls "one of Australia's most successful model exports" since her modeling debut in 2008—abruptly quit Tuesday, likely because of racism. "I am happy to announce that I am officially done with the fashion industry, I will be moving back to Australia In order to live the life that I fully deserved. Which is real life," Deng posted on Instagram. "I can no longer deal with the fakes and the lies. My life is too short for this dramatic life." Her manager, Stephen Bucknell, seemed to imply earlier this week that Deng's decision might stem from racism in the industry. The industry is biased toward white models, Bucknell told the Herald Sun. "They'll book the big Caucasian girls, spend the big dollars, and fly them in from LA, but I'm yet to see them book a dark-skinned girl in that way," he said. Deng, whose family fled Sudan in 2005, has also discussed racism in the industry, tweeting in 2014 that she was "kicked out of Balmain for being black" and noting, "I know a lot of black models would rather kiss someone's a-- than being honest but guessed what? I do not gaged [sic] a damn f---" before deleting her Twitter account. The 26-year-old had just walked in New York's Fashion Week before quitting, People reports.