Ty Ogunkoya

Ty Ogunkoya is a Nigerian-British model whose background includes a degree in materials engineering from Imperial College London. Known professionally as Ty, Akintayo Ogunkoya built an international modeling career through runway appearances and advertising, with DKNY providing an early connection between the two.

In a 2014 interview with Botife, he recalled that walking for DKNY had led to a campaign booking. It was a practical example of how visibility on the catwalk could translate into further work. Asked what a Black male model needed to succeed, he emphasized patience. He also spoke about his Christian faith, represented by a tattoo of Romans 8:31 on his forearm.

His runway career includes Dior and Hermès, alongside Kenzo and Dries Van Noten. Advertising for Paul Smith, Kenneth Cole, and Gap established another strand of his portfolio, while editorial assignments brought him into the pages of Vogue Hommes Paris and Esquire UK. His defined cheekbones and green eyes became recognizable features across that work.

Ty’s fashion photographs also document a changing menswear landscape. In a 2009 shoot with Dan Felton, photographer Paul Maffi captured him in the leather-led styling of the period. More than a decade later, he appeared in Wax London’s spring-summer 2023 imagery, a convivial gathering built around the British label’s collection. These assignments mark different chapters in a career that took shape through both the show circuit and sustained photographic work.