#model interview

[bathoarchives]

Nthabiseng Faith's Journey of Being A Model And The Creative Director of Kwa Jewelry

Nthabiseng Faith is a 23-year-old born and raised in Gaborone, She is the creative director of Kwa Jewelry, A jewellery brand founded by artist and arts educator LegakwanaLeo Makgekgenene.

She is also a model signed to Kult Models. Nthabiseng has worked with Glotto and LWE over the last three years, curates her own photoshoots, and collaborates with other creatives. In this conversation, she discusses how she got into the model industry, her work for Kwa Jewelry and much more.

How did you start your modelling career, what sparked your interest in the field?  

I actually was never interested in pursuing modelling until later on in life. I've always loved fashion for as long as I can remember, however growing up I had other outlets of expressing myself such as photography, thrift upcycles and writing. I started when a mutual friend (Thuto from Path Images) kindly reached out for a test shoot cause he believed I had "the look". The shoot was surprisingly comfortable and spontaneous for me which I absolutely adored, topped with the very lovely end results. So I decided to research the industry intensively and give it a try with more intention and direction.

Was it easy for you to get comfortable with being in front of the camera or just being around a couple of people during photoshoots when you started modelling?

Yes it was, I never struggled to switch on what I refer to as my alter ego. When shooting the outer world all becomes a blur to me, my periphery focuses solely on the lens plus allowing my body and expressions to flow as one with the camera.

Which photoshoot/campaign that you have done, is your favourite?

I don't quite believe in favorites. I am very peculiar with what I shoot and with who, so everything I have done I value.

Nthabiseng Faith photographed by Juliana Schaller

You are Kwa Jewelry’s creative director, how did that come about and what do you like most about the brand? 

I have previously worked closely with the founder as their personal art assistant, so when they decided to relaunch the jewelry brand I was fortunate enough to be on their mind. Even though I had not done something like this before, they believed in my artistic mind and work ethic which I am very grateful for. Which brings me to your next point, honestly everything the brand embodies is very likeable.

Since joining the Kwa Jewelry brand, how are you adjusting to the role and what have you learned from the experience?

Honestly, the adjustment was seamless. If anything, it just amplified parts of me I kept suppressed over the years. So it has been such a reaffirming journey. I can be harshly critical of my work so the biggest takeaway for me right now would be learning to trust myself despite not knowing how people will receive or interact with the content.

How would you explain the experience of being a model in Botswana, and how are you dealing with it? 

All cards on the table? It has been such a horrible experience for me locally. Again, as previously mentioned I am very particular. So I think that can easily be interpreted as being "difficult" which has resulted in such a disconnect and void. I am at a point where I no longer overanalyze or beat myself about it though. Still very grateful for all experiences, everything is a learning curve.

Nthabiseng Faith for LWE (then Versa La Troy) , SS23 POLENA Collection photographed by goodlivingmedia

Are you a freelance model or are you under management, between the two which is more is easy to work under?

Since I started in 2018, for most of my career I have been a freelance model. However, early this year I got signed internationally with Kult Models in Cape Town. As for which is easier to work under, each has its pros and cons. Also it would depend on your experience and the kind of modeling one does among other thing.

You've modelled for LWE since 2021, how did that come about and did you expect this 'partnership' with Troy Gabolwelwe to continue till now?

Troy reached out to me , which I was very open to without hesitation as I could see his passion and determination. Over the years I have watched him grow and hone his skills as a designer, each collection building towards a very distinctive style which absolutely makes me happy and proud of him. I think we are able to work so well together for so long as we have since built a friendship and connection where we are able to share our dreams and hold each other accountable.

Kwa Jewelry has branded itself as an Afrocentric brand, why did you choose to do so?

(I was not the one that decided on going with Afrocentric elements, I was fortunate enough to work with a team that allows me full creative expression, so my process does get inspired to create and lean more towards Africanity inevitably)

Nthabiseng Faith for Glotto SS23  “Glide into The Last Days of Summer” campaign photographed by Wenzile Dube

How do you balance staying true to your creative vision while also adapting to industry trends

By not adapting to trends. As cliche as it sounds, literally just doing me on a daily. Each day simply aiming to enlighten my creative self through experimentation and execution.

Where do you see Botswana’s fashion industry in the future and what role do you want to play in its development?  

Honestly hard to say but I hope we grow to be open-minded and respectful of all the different roles and of one another within the industry.

 What is the biggest you’ve had moment in your career? 

My biggest moments are yet to come.

Nthabiseng Faith photographed by Juliana Schaller

Who or what has been your biggest inspiration in Botswana’s creative industry? 

Myself.

 What message do you have for young aspiring creatives?  

Do not shy away from being different. With it may come being or feeling alone. Find comfort and affirmation in knowing that despite all of that, there is a tribe for you somewhere out there and someday you’ll know when you have found it. People who will not only resonate with your highest growing self but make you feel seen, heard and understood.

What’s next for you Nthabiseng?

I just know it's bigger and better. Constantly working towards ensuring this.

[popentertainment-interviews]

Madi Fogg

Striking a Pose

By Kayla Marra 

One week she’s relaxing by the bay in her hometown near Sydney, Australia. The next she’s walking her first show ever in New York Fashion Week. Madi Fogg is a 26-year-old model who has worked with a variety of prestigious photographers and brands – from Emilio G. Hernandez to Jean-Francois Campos, from Calvin Klein to Chanel. Madi was discovered while on the beach at only 18 years old and was immediately thrust into the world of modeling. 

Madi is very vocal about how much she loves what she does, as well as the challenges she has had to overcome along the way. We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Madi about how she got involved with the modeling industry, what she does in her time not on set or walking in shows, and any advice she has for aspiring models. 

Tell us a bit about how you grew up, and how you got into modeling. 

I grew up about an hour and a half south of Sydney, Australia. I was very low key growing up. I lived in a beach town. I had never been exposed to meeting people in the city, so I didn’t really get the chance to even think about modeling. No one had ever approached me about it before I turned 18. I was in Byron Bay for a New Year’s holiday just after I finished high school, and this guy came up to me and was like, “Hey, you should really be working overseas modeling.” As soon as he said overseas, I was like, “Yeah. Let’s do it!” Then he just took photos with his iPhone of my face – a side shot, then the front. Two days later, I got a phone call from this guy in New York saying that he wanted to bring me to Fashion Week. He’s going to pay for my ticket and pay for my hotel so, of course, I was like, “Yeah, let’s go!” [I was] not really thinking about the job, more just thinking about traveling. That’s how it all started! One week later, I was walking in New York Fashion Week. 

Did you ever consider modeling as a career path before being scouted?

I had thought about [pursuing] fashion because I used to sew some clothes when I was growing up in Australia. So, I was interested in fashion and design but never modeling. 

What was the first brand that you worked with and what was that experience like? 

It was a funny experience because the first show that I worked for was with Victoria Beckham. The guy that flew me to New York had a personal connection with the casting director, so it was very easy for me to go straight there. The funny thing was that my hair was literally down to my bum cheeks. When I got there, they were making me walk around in high heels doing laps at 1 AM. Then the next day at the show, the hairstylist was trying to do my hair. All the girls’ hair has to look the same for the show. It has to look cohesive. He was trying and trying, and he was like, “I can’t work with this girl’s hair!” (laughs) They took my ponytail and they just chopped it. That was my first experience modeling. I just went from there and said yes to every opportunity and every crazy thing that people wanted to do with me. I was always down to explore everything. 

What has been your craziest experience so far? 

Here’s another hair story. It was right before Fashion Week. I was getting a lot of feedback when I first started modeling that I was “too pretty” and “too girly.” At the time, a lot of androgynous girls were coming into fashion. It was always in fashion, but especially for Fashion Week. That was the feedback for me. So we bleached my eyebrows white while he was smoking a cigarette and cutting all of my hair off. I couldn’t even tie it in a ponytail. It was off, and I had bangs, and it was dyed black. Straight after that, I walked for Celine. I was getting used as their fit model before the show and everything. It worked out, but it was crazy. 

Another crazy experience that we’re all going through as you know, is the pandemic. How has it affected your experience with modeling? 

It’s definitely changed a lot. I was based in New York before the pandemic and then afterward I moved to Los Angeles. It really affected my modeling jobs because a lot of clients weren’t meeting new girls anymore. They were just using girls that they already knew from before. Everything was really slowed during the pandemic, but now I have to admit that I’m loving my job as a model during the pandemic because when I’m shooting, I’m the only one that doesn’t have to wear a mask. It feels surreal when you’re working with a full team of 10 people, and everybody has to be wearing masks. It kind of feels like I’m normal. 

What is one brand that you would love to work with in the future that you haven’t already?

Hmm, that’s a really good question. That’s a hard question! I think for right now with where I am in my modeling career, I love having consistent clients that I work with regularly and are just great people. It’s not really about the brand for me anymore per se. It’s more about their photographer, who is part of their team, and the clients that I work with. I don’t really have a brand that I’m imagining working with anymore. It’s more about the people and the experience that you have working for the brand. 

When you aren’t at shoots or working on projects, what do you like to do in your free time?

I like cooking. I’m very passionate about healthy cooking. Since I have to stay a certain shape and size and take care of myself, being a model I have learned to have fun with food and still create dishes at a super healthy and tasteful level.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you like to cook or something that you learned to make recently? 

Yeah, I actually made these vegan Snickers bars, which were super good. They had dates, oats, and cashews, and they tasted exactly like Snickers! I’m never going to eat a normal Snickers again. 

What do you think your biggest accomplishment has been with modeling so far? 

I think walking for the Chanel Couture show was my biggest accomplishment, just because it was such a unique experience and such beautiful garments. Every single piece of clothing in that show was outstanding. I got to work with Karl Lagerfeld, so that was probably one of the highlights of my career. 

Along with accomplishments, obviously, some challenges must come along. What are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve had to overcome in the industry?

There are a lot of challenges that models are faced with that people don’t really realize because it’s the behind-the-scenes of the job, and the job is so glamorous. I know there have been a lot of struggles with body image and healthy eating habits, but for me, the biggest struggle was living away from home. Living in cities where you don’t know anyone, where you don’t speak the language, you don’t know how to get around and do everything at such a young age. That was the biggest struggle for me. 

Do you have any advice you’d like to give to aspiring models? 

I would love to tell any girls who are thinking about modeling just to have fun and not take things too seriously. It’s very easy for criticism and judgment to be taken personally when you’re a model because they’re judging you and the way you look. It’s really hard to have fun at the same time, and to not take things too personally, but I would definitely recommend that everyone goes and says yes to every opportunity, as crazy as it sounds. The more experience you have, the better. 

Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: February 3, 2022.

Photos © 2022. Courtesy of Anthony Mora Communications. All rights reserved.

[glamrockandlove]

“I would love to be a full-time manga artist at some point in my life.” -  Estella Boersma interview for models.com

[joanna-bajena]

JOJO BAJENA by LUCA MASSARO for I-D

https://i-d.vice.com/it/article/wjwvj9/i-nuovi-volti-di-new-york-fotografati-da-un-duo-italiano

Il New York Kid che credi dovremmo scattare la prossima volta? La mia amica Dani Glovin.

La tua soundtrack di oggi? Echoes dei Pink Floyd.

Qual è la tua seconda casa a NYC? Riverside Park, o Greenpoint perché ci abitano tante persone polacche hahaha.

Il tuo designer newyorkese preferito? Three As Four.

L'ultimo libro che hai comprato? The Wreck di Tagore.

[topnewsmedia]

Model Life: Model Interview with Jeraldine Kelly

Model Life: Model Interview with Jeraldine Kelly

  Get to know supermodel and actor Jeraldine Kelly!

          Nationality: Nigeria

Profession: Am a model/actor

Agencies: have worked with some agency ( quest model Africa, dice model management) but am currently a free lancer

Milestones: Was when I became Edo state top model

Current location: I live in Benin city

      Tell us about your career as a model. How did you get started? A friend bought…

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[glamrockandlove]

Everything had become a cage, and I was the animal trapped inside, panting for air. I couldn't see a way out, and I couldn't stand another day of feeling this way.  

-  Gisele Bundchen captured by. Nino Muñoz  in ‘The New Sexy’ for Harper’s Bazaar Australia Jan-Feb 2019

[glamrockandlove]

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams when it comes to modeling? I want to use more of the capacity and contacts I’ve made in all these years to help the world, work with more charity organizations, try and make a real change. Even more today with the social medias, we can send a message to the world and take part in charitable organizations is something we should all do.

[julianrphotography]

HOW NOT TO F*#@ UP YOUR INTERVIEW WITH A TALENT AGENCY.

This article was originally written by Christian Alexander. Christian is the Director of Front Management, a Boutique Model Management Agency in Miami Beach. With humor he often posts on his personal feed about the realities of the modeling world and the intricacies of being a model manager.

I thought this article in particular, although funny, touches points that are very true and useful to models and those who want to get in the industry.

Julian R.

OFTEN MODELS COME IN NERVOUS FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS. WE THE AGENTS, CALL THEM WALK IN’S, APPOINTMENTS OR GO SEES.

IT’S MORE THAN NORMAL BEING NERVOUS MEETING AGENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. AFTER ALL, EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE IN AN OFFICE YOU’RE BASICALLY PUTTING YOURSELF ON STAGE FOR SOMEONE TO JUDGE YOU.

THIS QUIET, FIRE BREATHING DRAGON, STARING AT YOU FROM HEAD TO TOE COULD BE YOUR VERY NEW BOSS. SO HERE ARE A FEW TIPS ON HOW NOT TO F*#@ UP YOUR INTERVIEW.

1 AGENCIES HAVE A HEIGHT REQUIREMENT

PLEASE DON’T GO IN LYING, ACTING LIKE WE’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR FOUR MINUTES AND LIE ABOUT YOUR AGE OR HEIGHT. SHOULD AN AGENCY TAKE YOU WE WOULD ACTUALLY REQUIRE A LEGAL ID SO THAT WOULD HAVE ALL YOUR LEGAL INFORMATION INCLUDING HEIGHT AND AGE. PLUS WE HAVE MEASURING TAPE. A SEASONED AGENT WILL KNOW FROM ONE LOOK THAT YOU ARE PHYSICALLY NOT FIT OR THE RIGHT HEIGHT.

2 DON’T COME WITH A BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND TO HOLD YOU HAND THROUGH THE PROCESS.

YOU WOULDN’T DO THIS IN A NORMAL INTERVIEW. THIS SHOWS LACK OF CONFIDENCE. UNLESS YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 THERE IS NO REASON YOU SHOULD BE WALKING IN WITH A GUARDIAN.

3 YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS.

BUT DON’T OVER DO IT UNTIL YOU GET SIGNED. SOME PEOPLE TRY TO GET PERSONABLE WITH AGENTS BEFORE EVEN GETTING SIGNED. WE ARE TRYING TO ANALYZE YOU AND YOUR PRESENCE AND FIGURING OUT IF YOU HAVE A GOOD PERSONALITY. WE DON’T NEED YOU TO OVER SELL YOURSELVES.

4 PLEASE DONT CAKE ON THE PERFUME.

SOME PEOPLE ARE SENSITIVE TO THIS AND SOMETIMES IT’S A DISTRACTION AND TURN OFF.

5 CHEWING GUM OR HAVING YOUR HEADPHONES IN YOUR EARS IS A HUGE DISRESPECT.

YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE OUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. IF YOU’RE SMACKING YOUR GUM AND CHEWING AWAY LIKE A COW WHILE BLASTING TRAP MUSIC IN YOUR EARS IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME WANT TO SMACK YOU.

6 TACKIEST LINE ON THE PLANET

TACKIEST LINE ON THE PLANET IS. “ EVERYONE ELSE HAS TOLD ME GROWING UP THAT I SHOULD BE A MODEL” PLEASE DON’T USE AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL AS A REFERENCE. THAT SHOW IS ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS.

7 BE PREPARED JUST IN CASE THE AGENT WANTS TO TAKE DIGITALS.

MODELS SHOULD HAVE A SWIMSUIT WITH THEM OR CLEAN UNDERWEAR. ALSO A PAIR OF HEELS IN CASE YOU HAVE TO STRUT FOR THE OFFICE AND DO A VIDEO.

8 DON’T CRITICIZE YOUR OWN PICTURES AS WE ARE LOOKING AT THEM.

TELLING ME YOU HATE YOUR PICTURES IS A BAD WAY TO PROJECT YOURSELF. BY DOING THAT YOU ARE ALREADY PLACING A NEGATIVE ON WHAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A POSITIVE. ALSO BLAMING YOUR BLOATINESS OR OUT OF SHAPE BODY ON YOUR VACATION OR BAD EATING HABITS IS NOT OK!!! WHY GO MEET WITH AN AGENCY IF YOU ARE OUT OF SHAPE?. YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION IS EVERYTHING. LOOK YOUR BEST, OR DON’T GO. OTHERWISE, YOU ARE WASTING EVERYONE ELSE’S TIME INCLUDING YOURS, NOT JUST MINE.

9 KINDNESS IS EVERYTHING.

PEOPLE WANT TO HELP NAIVE UNDISCOVERED NEWBEES. NO ONE WANTS TO HELP A STUCK UP KNOW-IT-ALL. BE POSITIVE AND UPBEAT. DEBBIE DOWNERS ARE “GO BACKS” BYE..... NO CRYING ALLOWED & PLEASE HOLD THE ATTITUDE...WAY BACK. HOPEFULLY ONE DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD A TRAP DOOR OR AN EJECT BUTTON THAT LAUNCHES MODELS OUT OF THE OFFICE TO AVOID ALL CONFRONTATION.

10 NINETY NINE PERCENT OF THIS INDUSTRY IS REJECTION.

DON’T TAKE OFFENSE TO IT. YOU NEED THICK SKIN IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE IT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS NO DOESN’T MEAN EVERYONE WILL. YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT AGENCY THAT FITS. DON’T BE SOUR ABOUT IT. KEEP TRYING AND YOUR TIME WILL COME. I TURN DOWN ABOUT 10-20 PEOPLE A WEEK. THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEIR HORRIBLE, OR I WONT SEE THEM AROUND AGAIN. SIMPLY MEANS YOUR NOT THE RIGHT LOOK FOR THAT PARTICULAR AGENCY AT THE MOMENT.

NEXT TIME JUST MAKE SURE YOUR APPROACH IS SOFTER, SWEETER, STRONGER AND SHINY AND NEW. WE LOVE NEW AND IMPROVED. NO TODAY DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN NO SECOND TIME AROUND.

SINCERELY,

CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER

FRONT MANAGEMENT