Zaya Guarani

Zaya Guarani, also known as Zaya Ribeiro, is an Indigenous Brazilian model, activist and actor. Born and raised as a member of the Kamurape and Guarani Mbya ethnicities, Zaya made waves in the local fashion industry in 2024 when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Brazil. The casting was seen as a landmark moment for Indigenous representation globally. In addition to securing editorials for Vogue Mexico and British Vogue, and collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Moncler and Ugg, Guarani was awarded fashion influencer of the year at the Latin American Fashion Awards. 

Growing up in Rondônia, near the Amazon’s Madeira River, Guarani’s native state forms part of the so-called ‘arc of deforestation,’ meaning her family was generationally displaced by illegal logging and mining activities. After her first Vogue cover, Guarani relocated to New York City, using her platform as a model to call for Indigenous rights, inclusion and climate justice. Guarani advises at The Slow Factory’s climate justice & human rights platform and works with the United Nations Spotlight Programme. In 2023, she starred in ‘Postcard from Earth’, a film directed by Darren Aronofsky; the following year she appeared in designer Willy Chavarria’s film ‘Safe from Harm’. In 2024, it was announced that she would co-star in ‘The Last of the Tribe’.