M-Net face of Africa: Another fairy tale story in the making
For most of the young girls who manage to voice this desire, they are told by loving parents and firm guardians to pluck their heads out of the clouds and face their studies, after all life is really no fairy tale. Well, that was before 1997 when a 17-year-old bread-hawker at Ojuelegba, spurred on by […]
For most of the young girls who manage to voice this desire, they are told by loving parents and firm guardians to pluck their heads out of the clouds and face their studies, after all life is really no fairy tale. Well, that was before 1997 when a 17-year-old bread-hawker at Ojuelegba, spurred on by a family friend (fairy god-mother) contested for the first ever M-Net Face of Africa (The Prince) and won. For Oluchi Onweagba that fairy tale did come true. What was most exciting of her conquest was her initial disinterest in fashion perhaps because of her disadvantaged background. Then an opportunity presented itself and with no previous catwalk experience she won one of the most coveted prizes in the entertainment industry. That is the quintessential Cinderrella story. After all Cinderella was always confined to the kitchen and had no real experience in the refined mannerisms and splendour of the royal court, yet she won the heart of the Prince.
In true Cinderella fashion, Oluchi went on to conquer the international world of fashion and become a household name in Africa. Born August 1, 1980, Oluchi’s beauty and perhaps unadulterated innocence did not only win the M-Net face of Africa competition but went on to make Africa proud by becoming a world renowned Super Model gracing the covers of Italian Vogue, i-D, Elle, Untold, and Surface, and she has been featured in Nylon, Marie Claire, Allure and other national editions of Vogue around the world. She became the face of campaigns for Gianfranco Ferré, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Express, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor. Oluchi’s runway experience has included shows for John Galliano, Christian Dior, Costume National, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani, among others, in London, Milan, Tokyo, and Paris. She has worked with photographers such as Steven Meisel, Nick Knight, and Patrick Demarchelier. She also has been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition a whooping four times, from 2005 to 2008, and walked in the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show five times, in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
If the tale of Cinderella had a sequel, Oluchi’s professional conquests would very much help write it. Now armed with a New York University degree in business, she has launched her own modelling agency, O! Model Africa, with the objective of giving fellow Africans the chance at a profession that has changed her life. So the sequel would be the Princess turned Queen (Oluchi) is giving some other would-be Princess (the next Face of Africa 2009) to her son, the Prince (M-Net Face of Africa), offering her the chance to rule the kingdom (modeldom, if you please).
The face of Africa contest did not end with Oluchi. However, the subsequent winners (1999-2001) have left the high-tension world of modelling to pursue other interests. They are Bevinda Mudenge from Namibia (1999); Nombulelo Mazibuko from South Africa (2000) and Ramatoulaye Diallo from Senegal (2001). Notably Nombulelo Mazibuko made news a few years ago when Elite Model Management sent her and compatriot Lerato Moloi home from New York for not being skinny enough. They were put on probation for a month, which was the time given them to lose the weight, but were unable to meet their target. Moloi took offense, annoyed that she had not been sent home immediately as one month was clearly not long enough to become as skinny as they had hoped. Mazibuko on the other hand took it in her stride, stating that though she was not the right size for the American and perhaps the internatioanl market, she was just right for Africa.
The contest took a break for a few years and resumed in 2005, crowning ultra skinny Kaone Kario from Botswana as winner of the fairy tale contest. Then the show came under scrutiny with the emergence of the pent-up debate on the size of the African model. Questions were raised as to whether skinny Kaone really symbolised African beauty. In a continent where thinness is considered a sign of poverty, ill health, and low social status, would a rake thin girl be truly representative of the black African woman? In response, the promoters of the contest stated that their task was to find a Nubian princess that would fit into the international modelling society and though the African woman is curvy and highly attractive, she is accepted that way mainly in Africa. So, to make a success of a modelling career outside Africa, being thin was unequivocally a criterion.
Nevertheless the debate and back-talking did not in any way hamper Ms Kario’s excitement as she saw it as an achievement. Winning the continental competition put Ms. Kario on a six-figure path to modeldom. The 5’9” model now makes Cape Town, South Africa her home, where she does a fair amount of print and runway modelling. Ms. Kario has also done fashion shows in Europe, especially in London. She has modelled in magazines such as Elle and Glamour (the South African editions), and modelled for Speedo and did an advert for Coca-Cola.
In 2006, Venantia Otto from Namibia emerged winner. The lovely Namibian had not always wanted to be a model but had lived the normal life of a high school student until her older sister urged her to participate in a contest that would change her life forever. Aside her numerous modelling jobs across the continent, New York and London, this busy model also found time to feature in a Namibian feature film Nama by Swiss-French director, Nikunja. The film won the New York International Independent Film Award for best experimental feature and earned her an award for best actor in a feature film (International). She is currently being managed by O! Model Africa and is very high in demand across the continent.
The current face of Africa is Kate Menson of Ghana. She had auditioned in Ghana in 2006 but had not made the cut as the judges at the time advised that she hones her skill and tone her physique. Two years later, a toned Kate demonstrated immense commitment to her dream to be an international model by taking the counsel of the judges and trying out once again. This time, she not only made the cut for her country but went all the way to win the contest. Since then, Kate has graced different catwalks from Cape town to New York and various international magazines and she is only just starting. For Kate, the opportunity and the doors winning this contest has opened are immeasurable and she believes that this is a great opportunity for every young girl interested in modelling to get a head start. For her, this was just her time.
Indeed a bystander watching the models strut their stuff on the catwalks and pose for the biggest brands would assume that it is all peaches and cream. But alas, any African woman who has struggled with weight gain would applaud the efforts of these women in remaining true to their assets and craft, just ask Nombulelo Mazibuko. Also, the bystander may not appreciate the psychological torture to remain thin and beautiful, the verbal attacks from religious groups and even the obsessed manager breathing down their necks. Not many people can cope very well under that sort of pressure. That may explain why not all of the winners are still in the industry today, as they may have found other interests that did not cause them that many tough sessions in the gym and several dos and don’ts as it concerns diets.
Nonetheless, thousands of young girls turn up year after year hoping to be the new face of Africa. This year, audiences from across Africa would get the opportunity to watch the 17 part series on DStv and get a complete insight into how these girls are selected from 14 countries (Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) on the continent and then transported to the Model Boot Camp where they are pruned down to just 10 finalists. The Top 10 finalists will then head into the M-Net Face of Africa 2009 Finale in Nigeria. And from start to finish, DStv audiences can follow the search by tuning in to M-Net and/or AfricaMagic when the series premieres on Saturday, October 31.
Recently M-Net announced its partnership with the company founded by arguably Africa’s first Super Model, Iman, for the new season of Face of Africa, hence IMAN Cosmetics becomes an official partner of the iconic search. This partnership makes IMAN Cosmetics the official make-up supplier of the newly launched 17-part series, which is set to culminate in a sparkling finale in Lagos, Nigeria in February 2010.
Hence the Face of Africa 2009, winner in addition to scooping a $ 50,000 cash prize from M-Net and a modelling contract from O! Model Africa, will also receive another fairytale prize – a day in New York City with IMAN Cosmetics and the opportunity to start off and enhance her career with the guidance of one of the world’s most famous faces.
The partnership also includes the provision of IMAN Cosmetic make-up artists, gift vouchers for the 25 semi-finalists, individual make-up sets for the Top 10, plus make-up and skin products for 12 months for the winner, making IMAN Cosmetics a key part of Face of Africa.
The beauty of the 17 part series is that instead of the four part series where a winner emerges in just 4 short shows, Africa gets to witness and be enlightened by the tears and pains that are poured into making these girls, most of whom are without previous modelling experience, into exportable commodities. The fairytale begins soon. Once again M-Net would be helping a young girl fulfil her dream and showing the world how beautiful our girls are as Africa gets to witness the transformation of her daughters to supermodels.
Egbebi contributed this piece from Lagos.