From One Hundred Years of Solitude to The White Lotus—Akima Maldonado Is Owning 2025
Colombian model Akima Maldonado embraces vacation-ready style in her latest modeling gig. The breakthrough star fronts H&M’s newest campaign, a collaboration with HBO’s successful social satire-slash-culture phenomenon, The White Lotus. In the campaign, launched on February 20, Akima embarks on a tropical getaway alongside fashion darling Gabbriette. The model duo sports items co-created by The White Lotus’ costume designer, Alex Bovaird, as they sojourn on the beach.
Who is Akima?
In case you need an introduction, Akima Maldonado, best known by the mononym Akima, is one of Colombia’s most promising talents. Over the last couple of years, the model, TikTok sensation, and actress has steadily made a name for herself with her signature micro bangs, sunkissed skin, and unapologetically authentic attitude.
Akima has grown a large social media following through candid videos of her day-to-day life as a model. Most notably, her positive and outspoken take on decolonizing beauty standards and mindful living has earned her visibility beyond online spaces.
Rebeca in One Hundred Years of Solitude
In 2024, Akima made her acting debut in Netflix’s adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s book One Hundred Years of Solitude. Taking on her first acting role, Akima wowed audiences with her portrayal of Rebeca Buendía. The character starts as a mute orphan who arrives at the Buendía household with a note and her parents’ bones in a bag. Over time, she becomes one of the most beautiful women in Macondo. Described as “beautiful, with clear complexion and large, calm eyes,” Rebeca is one of the most important characters in the storyline.
Although Akima lived up to the role on screen, her appearance in the series wasn’t without criticism. Negative comments criticizing her casting as Rebeca made noise on the internet. Akima, who is not unfamiliar with conversations about hegemonic beauty standards, took to the internet to spark reflection.
“I find it extremely transgressive that in such a large production, they have chosen faces so different from those we have seen throughout the history of Colombian and Latin American television,” she said in one of her TikTok videos. “A beautiful woman is normally a white, blonde woman. […] I find it very valuable that we are exporting other types of faces to the world.”
Akima added that feeling beautiful in a society that could be cruel and racist was also an act of rebellion. “It is a conversation that goes beyond how we regard non-white features in a country as multicultural as Colombia,” she said. “And I find it valuable that many people can see themselves reflected and others can open their eyes a little about their conception of beauty .”
Akima in the Big Leagues
Akima has been open and honest about the challenges she’s faced in her modeling journey. So, just like many of the milestones she’s achieved so far, her new fashion foray is a testament to her perseverance. The model not only shares the spotlight with one of today’s most coveted models, but she is also leading a campaign related to one of the biggest cultural phenomena of 2025.
The White Lotus Season 3 premiere, which aired Sunday, attracted 2.4 million viewers and critical acclaim. The show has sparked renewed interest in Thailand, where the series is set, and in all things resort, including fashion. The accompanying fashion collaborations and brand activations have been no different.
Though everybody loves social satire that makes fun of the rich and powerful, Akima’s H&M campaign gives us extra reasons to watch The White Lotus. Maybe we’ll even start planning our next summer getaway and matching wardrobe.
