Africa’s Next SuperModel is back and better than ever! ? We are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for this year’s competition. If you’ve ever dreamed of strutting your stuff on the runway and taking your modeling career to new heights, this is your chance! ?
Here’s why you should participate:
1️⃣ Unleash your potential: Show the world your unique style, charisma, and talent. This is your opportunity to shine and showcase your modelling skills to top industry professionals.
2️⃣ Expert mentoring: Our esteemed panel of judges and mentors will guide you throughout the competition, providing valuable insights, training, and support to help you reach your full potential.
3️⃣ Amazing prizes: The winner of Africa’s Next SuperModel will receive a life-changing modelling contract, international exposure and the chance to work with renowned fashion houses and photographers.
4️⃣ Network with industry professionals: Connect with influential personalities, photographers, designers, and industry insiders who can help you jumpstart your modelling career.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Head over to our website and register now ➡️ www.africasnextsupermodel.com
Tag a friend who you think has what it takes to become Africa’s Next SuperModel! Let’s make dreams come true together. ✨
HBO has debuted the documentary for Donyale Luna: Supermodel, a film exploring the life, career and legacy of one of the first Black models to grace the cover of a Vogue magazine.
Often considered the “first Black supermodel,” Luna — who died in 1979 at the age of 33 — broke ground at a time when it was not only still rare to see Black women who weren’t white-passing in fashion but Black women on major magazine covers at all. Through her heyday in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Luna challenged the modelling world’s conventions and made history by becoming the first Black woman on the covers of both Harper’s Bazaar in 1965 and BritishVogue in 1966.
Born Peggy Ann Freeman in Detroit, Michigan, Luna became a larger-than-life character who broke barriers in the fashion industry, challenged the prevailing ideals of beauty, and influenced culture.
The HBO documentary sheds light on her life, unearthing the racism she faced in the fashion industry and the high-profile gatekeepers who tried to stop her career. “Donyale Luna: Supermodel,” streaming now on Max, is a powerful retelling of the life and death of the otherworldly supermodel who captivated the fashion world when white beauty standards were the only standards and 1960s America was rife with racial inequality.
London-born journalist Chioma Nnadi is making history in the fashion industry.
According to The Guardian, Nnadi, who is currently the editor of US Vogue’s website, has been named the head of British Vogue, replacing outgoing editor Edward Enniful.
Nnadi is set to take over the role on October 9, which will make her the first Black woman to head and edit British Vogue.
“Is there pressure? Yeah, there’s definitely pressure – it’s Vogue,” Nnadi said. “It still means something to be in Vogue, it still has authority. [And there’s pressure] because of Edward. He broke new ground. It’s more than being part of a magazine – it’s part of the cultural conversation.”
With her new role, Nnadi said she will focus on “digital storytelling” and keeping Vogue “interactive” with readers. She is likely to work alongside Anna Wintour, who previously described Nnadi as a “beloved colleague.”
Nnadi said Wintour has been key to “bringing Vogue into the future”.
“Working under Anna, you get a sense of what’s going to be next. I haven’t checked my email but she’s probably on to the next thing already,” she said.
DAKAR, Senegal — Chanel made history as the first European luxury brand to stage a fashion show in sub-Saharan Africa, unveiling its Métiers d’Art collection here on Tuesday as part of a three-day program of cultural events in the capital of Senegal.
Guests including Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, Whitney Peak, Nile Rodgers, Princess Caroline of Monaco and her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi attended the show, which was held at the Brutalist-style former Palace of Justice, which in recent years has hosted the Dakar Biennale.
Models paraded in ‘70s-inspired pantsuits topped with beaded vests and skirts in geometric motifs that nodded to the flamboyant Congolese style subculture of the sapeurs. Flared jeans, platform shoes and tiered skirts cast a retro glow over the lineup, which drew a roar of approval from the 850 guests.
A look from the Chanel Métiers d’Art show. GIOVANNI GIANNONI
It was a potentially perilous exercise for the French luxury brand, which sought to deflect any accusations of cultural appropriation by inviting a host of local creatives to cooperate on the event, and revealing a series of long-term initiatives to promote craftsmanship and sustainable farming, including the first overseas exhibition to be held by its 19M specialty workshop hub in Paris.
By her own admission, creative director Virginie Viard had never traveled to the African continent before, but said she was drawn to Dakar after hearing about it from friends and collaborators who frequently visit the city, which in recent years has gained a reputation as a thriving hub for art.
“I thought it would be sweet and fun to do something that wasn’t tied to a store opening,” Viard told WWD. “I wanted a creative exchange and I thought that would work well with the Métiers d’Art collection.”
Viard, who has made collaborations a hallmark of her tenure at Chanel, drafted choreographer Dimitri Chamblas to work with Senegalese dance pioneer Germaine Acogny’s École des Sables school on the performance that opened the show, alongside local singer Obree Daman.Collection Gallery62 PHOTOSVIEW GALLERY
“Collections are all very well, but I need to be moved. It has to be alive, it has to connect to other disciplines,” Viard explained.
The look book was shot by Senegalese photographer Malick Bodian, while Kourtrajmé, a film school founded by French director Ladj Ly that has a branch in Dakar, produced a series of videos around the collection. Viard said the intention was to foster long-term relationships. “I know that all the people here will be working with us again,” she said.
Anticipating potential criticism, Acogny argued that Chanel had been respectful in its approach. “I don’t think Chanel came here to force anything upon us,” she said at a talk for students held the following day. “We cannot accept anyone coming to colonize us again, let this be clear.”
Pharrell Williams COURTESY OF CHANEL
Williams, who’s been a Chanel brand ambassador since 2015, underlined the symbolic significance of the event. The performer, who was visiting West Africa for the first time, took in the House of Slaves and its Door of No Return on Gorée Island, which commemorates what used to be a holding center for enslaved African people to be exported.
“Knowing that this country was once occupied by not only the French, but the Portuguese and the Dutch, to come here with a French maison that really understands this history, to come back and work with the culture, not promising some false facade of equality, but actual equity in the process, is something beautiful,” Williams said at the talk.
“That’s just like a great exercise for other houses to look at and say, ‘OK, what are we doing to be a part of this conversation for humanity?’ because right now, the world is just rife with so much division,” the “Happy” singer told WWD after the show. “What I love about this is that they’re bringing amazing instincts and bringing amazing standards and raising the bar for what can be done.”Chanel Métiers d’Art 202362 PHOTOSVIEW GALLERY
Peak, who joined as brand ambassador last year, said it was only her second Chanel show. “I was very excited and honored to be a part of this because I was born in Uganda, I consider Africa my home,” she said.
“It makes me happy that this is happening, and that we’re bringing back to the community and not just having a show here, but also involving the community and appreciating the culture and making sure that everybody understands where we are in the history and everything good and bad that’s been on this ground,” the “Gossip Girl” star added.
Peak said she was careful in choosing which fashion brands to work with. “I’m somebody that responds very strongly to energy,” she explained. “Chanel was the brand that I spent the most time with that really just felt non-transactional; it felt like a family and felt like I was heard and I was seen and I was allowed to say no. It didn’t feel like a lot of pressure.”
Whitney Peak COURTESY OF CHANEL
Launched by Chanel’s late creative director Karl Lagerfeld 20 years ago to spotlight the work of its in-house workshops, the Métiers d’Art collection has traditionally been a traveling show that has alighted in locations including Shanghai; Edinburgh, Scotland; Salzburg, Austria, and Havana, Cuba.
Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion and president of Chanel SAS, said the brand was conscious that it needed to come with a new approach, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which put destination shows on hold for several years.
“We can’t go to the other end of the earth just for a 20-minute show. That doesn’t work anymore,” he said.
That’s why Chanel will return to Dakar with the 19M exhibition, set to run from Jan. 12 to March 31 at the Théodore Monod African Art Museum before switching to Paris. “It’s open to everyone, but particularly targeted at students and apprentices of craftsmanship,” he said, noting that Chanel was in the process of inking partnerships with several schools.
Likewise, the brand plans to work with local organic cotton producers as part of its global efforts to secure raw materials as it shifts to an increasingly sustainable offering. Similar initiatives are already in place in India, Egypt and Peru.
“There is a tradition of cotton production here, but the quality needs to improve to meet our requirements,” Pavlovsky said. “Within the next three to five years, our aim is to cover part of our needs with cotton from Senegal produced in good conditions at a fair price.”
In contrast to Chanel shows in Paris, where guests tend to wear the label head-to-toe, the local crowd dazzled by combining the brand’s signature quilted handbags with a mix of traditional occasionwear and contemporary African fashion design.
“I’ve gone to many Chanel fashion shows. It’s been almost 10 years so I haven’t seen it all, but I thought I had, and I’ve got to tell you, this by far has had the most amazing fashion sense in terms of attendance, the best-dressed audience,” Williams declared.
A look from the Chanel Métiers d’Art show. GIOVANNI GIANNONI
The collection also stood out as one of the most eclectic since Viard succeeded Lagerfeld at the helm of the brand in 2019. Checkered tweed and Lurex pantsuits were layered with beaded vests and wrap skirts, and topped with oodles of chains, including gold pendants in the shape of the African continent, and jewel-encrusted lion heads.
Created in close collaboration with in-house suppliers like embroiderer Lesage and flower-maker Lemarié, the collection featured plenty of embellishment, from the rhinestones sparkling on a lozenge-patterned sweater, to the DIY-style patchwork camellias and heart-shaped patches scattered across a black vest.
Maximalists might opt for the knits with patterns melding oversize leopard spots with flowers and distorted double-C logos, paired with leather vests or pants in electric peach and muted plum. For nostalgists, there was a bohemian-style white lace dress topped with a belted blue cardigan, à la Talitha Getty.
A look from the Chanel Métiers d’Art show. GIOVANNI GIANNONI
Viard also made sure to include plenty of denim, though she hit a dud note by pairing lozenge-patterned jeans with frumpy tunics. More compelling was a workwear-style Canadian tuxedo flecked with tiny sequins in broken stripes.
While the collection was produced entirely in Paris, the cast featured 19 African models, including a dozen from Senegal. But even though Chanel has plenty of customers from West Africa, Pavlovsky said it would be “premature” for the brand to open a store in the region.
“There is still an important gap between the average standard of living in these big [African] cities and what you find in Europe or the United States,” he said. “We’re not here to do business, we’re here to participate in and benefit from the creative energy here in Dakar.”
Chanel kicked off its residency on Monday with the latest edition of Les Rendezvous Littéraires Rue Cambon, its regular literary event hosted by Casiraghi, featuring a talk with French writer Marie NDiaye. “I consider her one of the great contemporary authors who will make a mark on the history of French literature. I hugely admire her work,” Casiraghi said.
“It turns out that Marie also has a history with Senegal which is complex, but very powerful,” she said of the author, whose father is Senegalese but who considers herself entirely French. “I think for her, coming to Dakar was a powerful gesture, perhaps also a way to reconnect with part of her history.”
Casiraghi said she knew of Dakar from her mother, Princess Caroline, who has traveled extensively as head of the children’s charity AMADE. “I would love to be able to stay longer to discover all the intricacies of the city. Let’s say that for now, I’ve only caught a quick glimpse of it, but I did feel a creative effervescence,” she said.
Chanel took some guests on a tour of the capital’s art galleries, which are staging special events for the annual Partcours fortnight of cultural events that also coincided with the latest edition of Dakar Fashion Week. Some VIP clients were treated to an exclusive visit of Black Rock, the studio and artist residency founded by U.S. painter Kehinde Wiley, who was at the show.
“I think Dakar slowly sneaks up on you. It’s a country and a city that presents in a very simple way. It’s relatively dry. It’s in the Sahel, but then the people and the beaches and the food and the creative energy here is something that’s so charming that I continue to come back,” he said.
A look from the Chanel Métiers d’Art show. GIOVANNI GIANNONI
Whether you own an agency, are an aspiring model or just can’t get enough of the fashion scene, The ANSM Model Search has something for everyone!
On September 10th, the grand finale will be held in Ghana with world-renowned models, guest judges, live musical performances, and model search finalists all converging for an unforgettable night of fashion.
Janet Jumbo is a Nigerian model who featured on the British Vogue February edition alongside Adut Akech, Amar Akwayi and many other top African models.
The 20-year-old Jumbo was first spotted on her way back from church in 2019. Now, she has become the first Nigerian to walk for Louis Vuitton
In the same year, Jumbo strutted down the runway during the Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall-Winter 2019 Fashion Show at the Louvre in Paris.
Her agency took to Instagram to announce the exciting news writing, “Today, Janet Jumbo is the first Nigerian model to walk the Louis Vuitton show exclusively. We feel nothing but all shades of happiness and we can’t contain it.
From Nigeria to Louis Vuitton
The teenager is from Rivers State in Southern Nigeria. Her modelling career started after a scout noticed her in Lagos state. She was spotted on her way back from church on a Sunday.
Since then, she has been signed to an agency called Raw Model Management Nigeria. Jumbo is also signed to IMG Models Worldwide.
This agency manages some of the most famous models in the world like Kate Moss, Alek Wek, Gisele Bündchen, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, Miranda Kerr, and Candice Swanepoel.
Jumbo also expressed her happiness online. She shared the epic moment writing,https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/CtzB1IbEO/
Twitter reactions
Here is how Nigerians are reacting to the news:https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/hhaDnXIaEZ/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/mq459R2wq/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/BGmfWcPVN/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/4GK9wMq4b/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/tpgzJaFtO/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/AaFv4PvuW/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/anKtTDjES/https://pulsembed.eu/p2em/n-aFFiuCo/
With a new generation of African models in the spotlight, fashion is at last embracing what it is to be truly global.
It’s a grey, mild-for-November Tuesday morning, in a brutalist indoor car park off an industrial road within a not particularly fashionable enclave of west London. There’s a large table, methodically laid with lateral flow tests. One would be justified in thinking that this is not where the magic happens. But then, a door opens into a cavernous studio with dramatic black drapes. Inside, nine striking Black models – their facial features varied and distinct – await hair and make-up. They are playfully conversing; I note snippets of Dinka and hints of other mother tongues peppering the conversation. They’re laughing and teasing one another while moving and mouthing the lyrics to Wizkid’s “Don’t Dull”, “Ojuelegba”, “Essence” and pretty much the entire tracklist of Made in Lagos. These women are a wholly different type of model and are currently pushing the boundaries not only of beauty but of the entire fashion world.
Adut, Anok, Nyagua, Janet Jumbo, Maty Fall and co are representative of an ongoing seismic shift that became more pronounced on the spring/summer ’22 runways. Prada, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu and many more were awash with dark-skinned models whose African heritage stretched from Senegal to Rwanda to Sudan to Nigeria to Ethiopia. For an industry long criticised for its lack of diversity, as well as for perpetuating beauty standards seen through a Eurocentric lens, this change is momentous.
“I saw all these incredible models from across Africa who were just so vivacious and smart,” recalls Edward Enninful, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief and European editorial director, explaining the inspiration behind shooting an all Black, all African cover. His excitement for this moment is tangible: “These girls,” he continues, “are redefining what it is to be a fashion model.” This, he asserts, is well overdue. “You know, fashion tends to follow waves. We’ve had the Brazilian wave. We had the Dutch wave, the Russian wave, the Eastern European wave… And while, in the last decade, the Black model has come to prominence, I love that we are finally giving more space to African beauty.” Unlike the trends that have gone before, which favoured a certain aesthetic – the perpetually sun-kissed Amazonian curves of the Brazilians, the strong jawlines of the Eastern Europeans – this African wave taps into a variety of aesthetics from across that vast continent.
Consider Adut Akech. At 22, she is arguably the most successful African model working today. Following her runway debut at Saint Laurent, in 2016, her international Vogue covers have run into double digits, she has notched up numerous fashion and beauty campaigns – from Valentino to Estée Lauder – and recently bought a house in LA. Undoubtedly she has inspired other African models, such as Janet Jumbo, the 19-year-old Nigerian who walked Louis Vuitton and Burberry and says the wave of success African models are riding right now “gives me hope that I can succeed at this”.READ MOREBritish Vogue’s February Cover Celebrates The Rise Of The African Model
Akech, dressed in a towelling robe, her tousled hair redolent of a protagonist in a James Barnor photograph, recalls the landscape of five years ago as a world away from what we see now. “When I first started modelling internationally…” She makes a face, eyes incredulous, and lets out a wry laugh. “I would literally be the only Black, dark-skinned girl in the show. There were no Sudanese models, no African models. Now,” she says, smiling, “I go to a show and there are girls from my country, girls from Africa who look like me. So yes, there has been a huge change. It has gone from me being the only one at a show to 15 or 20 of us. I’m just so happy that we are finally at this place. I was tired of always feeling out of place and feeling like an outcast.”
The experience of not belonging resonates with Anok Yai, a fellow Sudanese model, who in February 2018 became only the second Black model ever to open a Prada show (the first was Naomi Campbell, in 1997). “In the beginning, I felt really isolated,” she says. “I got thrown into the modelling industry very quickly and I kind of had to navigate it on my own. I also have social anxiety, and so I struggled a lot with connecting with people. Backstage, there would maybe be one other Black girl, but now my tribe is backstage. I can speak my own language to my friends. They are basically like my family.”
Adut Akech on British Vogue’s February 2022 cover. RAFAEL PAVAROTTI
For all the celebration of this moment, the elephant in the room remains. Why are we only just beginning to truly embrace African models on the international runways? Particularly when, as Omoyemi Akerele, the founder of Lagos Fashion Week, says, the issue cannot be put down to a lack of fresh talent: “Over the last decade, we have worked alongside agencies dedicated to discovering and nurturing new faces from across the continent. Models like Mayowa Nicholas started out walking at Lagos Fashion Week.”Most Popular
The pandemic, as well as the logistics of the African continent, have, Vogue contributing casting director Ashley Brokaw explains, played a significant role in the lack of African models on the international runways. “The reason everyone saw a lot of new faces this season was really a function of access,” she says. “Prior to the pandemic, we had sorted through initial visa issues – some countries were definitely easier than others – we got all the paperwork, we got all the necessary travel documents for the girls done in advance, and then everything shut down. So, the explosion of African girls on the catwalk that we suddenly see is a result of things opening up.”
The previous scarcity of African models, continues Brokaw, can also be attributed to outmoded casting processes. “Over the years, I have had to do my scouting through an agent, perhaps based in Milan or Paris, who would filter their choices down to me. Now, thanks to social media, I can reach out directly to scouts in say Rwanda or Burundi or Uganda and find a great girl. They can also text, WhatsApp or find me through Instagram. The level of access through social media is just incredible. This means I’m now able to choose girls through my own lens, which makes the process so much more democratic and inclusive.”
The power of social media has also been a game-changer for Piergiorgio Del Moro, the founder of DM Casting, which he runs together with Samuel Ellis Scheinman. “Every day,” begins Del Moro, who discovered Akech, “I receive tons of messages and images from scouts and potential models from all over the world.” The previous system, which, Scheinman explains, “came down to where money was invested to find models”, meant that the Black girls cast were predominantly light-skinned African Americans, and only one or two were African because the agencies didn’t have the right connections to get girls from Africa into Europe. “And so, for us, we see social media as a real change in terms of how scouting has blossomed in Africa. We are now able to have a photo of a girl sent to us in a nanosecond.”
Logistics, economics and technology aside, there is no denying how much the global reckoning around race, diversity and inclusion, heightened in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, has forced a shift in mindset towards racial inequities and unconscious bias. The casting process, agrees Scheinman, is no exception. “The industry has definitely gone through a soul search about what diversity means, what inclusivity means, and what being truly global means when it comes to casting. We really saw this starting to shift about five years ago, and so for us as casting directors, the more options we have, the more we’re going to want to explore every version of beauty. Now that we have access to these amazing girls, there’s no reason not to work with them.”Most Popular
As the casting director for Kerby Jean-Raymond’s label Pyer Moss, which actively celebrates Blackness and casts accordingly, Katherine Mateo has long been vocal about the narrow ideals of beauty perpetuated by the fashion industry. And she’s not afraid to highlight the complicity of the casting process. “For many years, we have been stuck on what society has trained us to believe is the ‘perfect’ skin colour, size, age, height. But the fact of the matter is people want to see the world that reflects their reality. Our world does not have one type of beauty, and we as casting directors have the power to directly connect with brands and publications and hold them accountable for the change we would like to see.”
Del Moro adds, “It is our job to push diversity. Diversity of age, diversity of size, diversity of skin colour. Some editors, like Edward [Enninful], have over the years raised their voices about diversity, and you also have some designers who have it at the forefront of their minds. But where they don’t, it’s our job to push for it.”
Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli is known to champion African models such as Akech; his groundbreaking spring/summer ’19 haute couture show famously featured an all Black cast. “For months, I had been nourishing the desire, the fantasy, to make couture inclusive. Simple as it may seem, it started with an iconic picture by Cecil Beaton of the Charles James salon. I said to myself, ‘What if instead of these white-swan models we had a salon filled with Black women wearing couture?’” His research took him to archive editions of Jet and Ebony. What he discovered strengthened his resolve. “Magazines [aimed at a Black readership] had to buy most of the clothes for their editorials, because couture houses didn’t want to lend to them. The more I delved into it, the more I felt I had to do something. Not to say or to promise, but to do. Fashion is the language I use to express my values and ideas, and I thought the only trustworthy, valuable statement that I could make was through a couture show with only Black models. Do I think it’s enough? No, it’s not. But every time I look at that finale picture, I know it meant something, and I know I want to do more.”Most Popular
While he is under no illusion about the mammoth hurdle to eradicate racial inequity in fashion, Piccioli is excited about the current trajectory of African models. “I am pretty sure there is no coming back from this. It is unlikely to be replaced by the constraints and unreachable standards of beauty. These must be defeated because being standardised does not belong in the future we wish to witness.”
The characteristically straight-talking Bethann Hardison, a trailblazing veteran Black model, agent and long-time activist for diversity in the industry, has reservations. She suggests caution over what could potentially be a double-edged sword. To be clear, she asserts that this isn’t to rain on anyone’s parade; her perspective comes from experience: “Remember, I’ve been around for a while, so I see these things through a different gaze,” she explains. “Of course, I believe in racial diversity, but the good news and the bad news is that fashion changes. I worry that this situation becomes this thing where, ‘If you’re Black you’re in,’ which means then at some point, you could be out.” Again, to avoid misinterpretation, Hardison adds a caveat. “Look, I’m not saying that this will absolutely be the case in this situation, but generally when you lean so hard in one direction, the natural move after a while is to begin to lean far into the opposite end.”
There is validity to her point. There is a constant tug of war within the thorny triad of diversity, authenticity and longevity. Is it real? Will it last? For how long? Scheinman admits that there is an element of casting that is performative. “We have some clients for whom diversity is embedded in their DNA, and there are others where we have had to have very active discussions with them, where they then say, ‘I really want to change, I want to be more inclusive.’ While the industry perhaps hasn’t necessarily invested much in the way of size inclusivity, I feel like the racial aspect of diversity is the one that is most embedded. It’s like a non-negotiable. For Piergiorgio and me, there’s no question that the world could go back to, say, a ‘Russian casting’. It’s just not modern. Not only is diversity an obligation, it would be irresponsible to treat it as something so disposable.”READ MOREA Famous Photo Of Grace Jones Inspired The Beauty Looks In British Vogue’s February 2022 Cover Story
This is music to the ears of Akerele, who stresses that while ensuring representation from marginalised communities to reflect our “global village”, stakeholders must be mindful to ensure no one is left out of the conversation. “Casting directors across the world must hold themselves accountable to a higher standard. The underlying question should be, ‘Who am I excluding?’” This responsibility, however, argues Abrima Erwiah of the Ghana-based brand and social enterprise Studio One Eighty Nine, extends far beyond casting directors. The onus, she believes, is on everyone, from consumers to brands to editors and anyone who engages with the industry. “Yes,” she admits, echoing some of Hardison’s misgivings, “some people might see it as a trend and a moment and try and suck it dry to move on to the next sexy thing, but whether we believe we have power or not, we all have to come together and work on this as a community. If the logistics and the infrastructure are there to support these models, I think it will work.”Most Popular
It is a sentiment, a clarion call, if you will, echoed by Enninful. He believes the way to ensure that this “moment” isn’t transient, is to ensure the models’ careers go the distance. “It’s sad and heartbreaking for me to see girls who are on the rise suddenly taper off. We need to ensure these girls last. We have to invest in them, nurture them and support them with editorial, with advertising, with shows. It has to be 360.” Recalling Alek Wek’s early modelling career, he reveals the secret to her longevity: “Alek Wek didn’t suddenly become Alek Wek. There was a group of us behind girls like her, propelling them forward. This is what we have to do in all our different roles. Getting these girls and then throwing them away after one season? That has to stop.”
Outside, the grey skies have dimmed to a blue-black. The energy among the models is still high. The infectious sound of Afro B’s “Drogba (Joanna)” reverberates around the studio, and the frisson of excitement that permeated the air earlier in the day shows no sign of abating. As the hairstylist prepares her for another shot, Akech mulls over the hope that the uprising of African models goes beyond a trend. “I mean,” she says, choosing her words carefully, “that is the goal, that it becomes more than a moment.” And then, almost immediately, as if to correct herself, she answers more resolutely: “Actually, I don’t see it being a trend. Also,” she says, laughing, “there are so many of us – we are just not going to go out of style.”
Iman, the groundbreaking original African model, who not only paved the way but has long campaigned for diversity on the catwalk, has a message for Akech et al. “If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then let the beholder be you.” And her charge to the world? “All hail our African models with their jet-black skin, impossibly long limbs and natural hair, full of joy and absolutely no compromise.”
The February 2022 issue of British Vogue is on newsstands on 18 January
The most common question that modeling agents and scouts receive from aspiring models is, “how do I become a fashion model?.” There is so much information in books, on websites, and swirling around in modeling forums that it can seem very confusing and overwhelming to a new model who is just starting out. Here are 5 simple steps to help you get started.
1. Take Some Basic Snapshots (Polaroid) In the beginning, the only photos you need to present to modeling agents and scouts are some basic snapshots otherwise called Polaroid. They are looking for a nice face shot (smiling and not smiling), left and right profiles of your face and body, a full length shot and a back shot. Wear form-fitting clothing like skinny jeans or leggings and a simple tank top or t-shirt. If you are comfortable wearing a swimsuit, then include a few swimsuit shots as well, either a one-piece or two-piece swimsuit is fine. Male models need to show the agents their fitness level, so it is recommended that male models wear swim trunks or boxer shorts, or wear jeans without a shirt in at least one of their photos.
2. Get Evaluated by a Professional Model Agent or Scout Most new models start their quest because their family and friends have said “you should be a model,” or they are the prettiest girl or guy in the school. They may have even won some local modeling competitions or pageant.That’s a great start, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into what the agencies are looking for. It is essential that you get your modeling potential evaluated by an experienced model agent or scout before you invest too much time or money into your pursuit. This step can get a little tricky. How do you determine whether the agent or scout who is evaluating you has the experience and knowledge to help you?Also, many new models find that they live in a smaller market where many of the agents are affiliated with a modeling school or photography studio. As a result, they may not be getting an accurate evaluation if the “agency” is more interested in selling courses or photo shoots.It doesn’t mean that the agent isn’t good or that the courses or photo shoots they are offering are bad; it just means that you need to think about what is motivating them to tell you whether or not you can be a model.
3. Get as Much Exposure as Possible
Many agencies specialize in only one particular area. Some may only represent high fashion (editorial) models. Others may only represent commercial models, or plus-size, petite, or child models. If one agency is unable to represent you don’t get discouraged, it’s important that you get seen by as many agents as possible and on a routine basis. If you live in one of the major markets you may be able to attend an open call or go-see at the agency. If you live outside one of the major markets the best way to get exposure is to send your photos to as many agencies as possible.It can be a very time-consuming and expensive endeavor, especially if you are making copies of all your photos and then mailing them. The cost of prints, envelopes, and stamps can easily add up to over a thousand dollars. Another option is to email your photos–but with thousands of photos being emailed to model agencies every day, it is very easy to get lost in the mix. To increase your chances of being signed by an agency, it is important to work with people who have experience and direct connections to all the agencies in a wide variety of markets. ModelScouts.com is a great place to start and offers the most legitimate and cost-effective way for you to get the exposure you need to be seen by many agents around the world and in the quickest way possible.
4. Know the Best Modeling Market for YouThe term “market” refers to the various geographical locations in which models work and earn a living. “Market” can also refer to category your particular look falls into such as the fashion market, commercial market, plus market, or petite market. Internationally New York, Paris and Tokyo are various “markets,”. In Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa are rising continental “market” that new models may want to break into before making a plunge. While the supermodels you see in major magazines and walking the runways for top clients generally work in every market, there are many successful models who only work in one or two markets. So, even though you may not get represented by an agency in Paris or South Africa, you could very well be perfect for Tokyo, Singapore, and other Asian markets. An experienced agent can help guide you to the right market for your particular look.
5. Be Persistent Becoming a professional model is a process. It rarely happens overnight. Even the models who say “I was just walking down the street one day and the next I was on the cover of Vogue” are exaggerating.Becoming a professional model takes time. Many of today’s top models didn’t get signed to an agency the first time out of the gate. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen was turned down over 40 times before she was finally signed to an agency.Stay positive and remember that just because an agency wasn’t able to represent you today, it doesn’t mean they won’t be interested tomorrow. Trends change
A dream come true… For the first time ever, Mode1 Model Management is organizing it’s first modelling contest in Africa offering thousands of girls (between the age of 16 and 22), the opportunity to achieve their dreams and follow in the footsteps of top models of African origin who are making their marks in the world.
We are super excited about this new competition said Yomi the Director of Mode1Management and we hope we can discover future stars that will inspire more Girls to believe in themselves and step into the world of modelling. Africa’s Next Super Model will be just not a competition he said, but also serves as a database which will allow agents and agencies to find models profile more easily in different parts of Africa.
The competition is open to potential models across the globe with an African heritage and casting are set to hold across 5 African countries from the month of April 2020 through to July.
Following the casting and online public vote, 30 winners will emerge and subsequently trained in catwalk and other modelling etiquette for the grand finale to be held in October 2020 in Ghana.
The perfect combination of professionalism, elegance and beauty…
The winner of the ANSM 2020 will have the opportunity to win prizes and endorsements worth £10,000 alongside an international modelling contract with Mode1 Models www.mode1models.com. For more information on how to be a part of the ANSM competition please log on to www.africasnextsupermodel.com to create a free modelling profile. Please note all models must be at least 5ft 8in and of African Heritage.
In the beginning, the only photos you need to present to modeling agents and scouts are some basic snapshots otherwise called Polaroid. They are looking for a nice face shot (smiling and not smiling), left and right profiles of your face and body, a full length shot and a back shot. Wear form-fitting clothing like skinny jeans or leggings and a simple tank top or t-shirt. If you are comfortable wearing a swimsuit, then include a few swimsuit shots as well, either a one-piece or two-piece swimsuit is fine. Male models need to show the agents their fitness level, so it is recommended that male models wear swim trunks or boxer shorts, or wear jeans without a shirt in at least one of their photos. 
Most new models start their quest because their family and friends have said “you should be a model,” or they are the prettiest girl or guy in the school. They may have even won some local modeling competitions or pageant.That’s a great start, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into what the agencies are looking for. It is essential that you get your modeling potential evaluated by an experienced model agent or scout before you invest too much time or money into your pursuit. This step can get a little tricky. How do you determine whether the agent or scout who is evaluating you has the experience and knowledge to help you?Also, many new models find that they live in a smaller market where many of the agents are affiliated with a modeling school or photography studio. As a result, they may not be getting an accurate evaluation if the “agency” is more interested in selling courses or photo shoots.It doesn’t mean that the agent isn’t good or that the courses or photo shoots they are offering are bad; it just means that you need to think about what is motivating them to tell you whether or not you can be a model.
The term “market” refers to the various geographical locations in which models work and earn a living. “Market” can also refer to category your particular look falls into such as the fashion market, commercial market, plus market, or petite market. Internationally New York, Paris and Tokyo are various “markets,”. In Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa are rising continental “market” that new models may want to break into before making a plunge. While the supermodels you see in major magazines and walking the runways for top clients generally work in every market, there are many successful models who only work in one or two markets. So, even though you may not get represented by an agency in Paris or South Africa, you could very well be perfect for Tokyo, Singapore, and other Asian markets. An experienced agent can help guide you to the right market for your particular look.
Becoming a professional model is a process. It rarely happens overnight. Even the models who say “I was just walking down the street one day and the next I was on the cover of Vogue” are exaggerating.Becoming a professional model takes time. Many of today’s top models didn’t get signed to an agency the first time out of the gate. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen was turned down over 40 times before she was finally signed to an agency.Stay positive and remember that just because an agency wasn’t able to represent you today, it doesn’t mean they won’t be interested tomorrow. Trends change
