Kaone

Women 24 says"...The striking Botswana born 19 year old, elegantly captured the heart and imagination of the continent when she won the prestigious title.

As winner of the Nokia Face of Africa, Kaone has now started her modelling contract with Storm, valued at $125 000. Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week is her first official public modelling event since she won the competition on July 10th 2005.

Says Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week official spokesperson Gerry Rantseli, "Kaone is the perfect face of Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week. For those lucky enough to have spent some time with this stunning young lady, you are quickly impressed by not only her beauty, but also her confidence at such a young age, and the sense of the tangible possibilities for her.

"Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week represents exactly these values: fashion in Africa has the beauty, creativity and maturity to compete on the international fashion scene. And if the African inspired collections of fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan are anything to go by we are actually in a position to be setting international fashion trends rather than being seen as merely followers."

Kaone's participation at Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week will include appearing at its launch on the 10th August and participation in a number of key shows during the event. Kaone will also be seeing the best that Cape Town has to offer in terms of nightlife by her attendance at Opium, for the official after party.

At present over 60 participating South African designers are busy with last-minute preparations for the opening of Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week.

This year's star-studded line-up of designers includes Amanda Laird Cherry, Maya Prass, Habits, YDE, Sun Goddess, Gideon,

Fred Eboka, Malick and Jenni Button to name a few..."

Photo courtesy of Mmegi

Yasmeen Ghauri

"...In 1989, Yasmeen Ghauri was McDonald’s employee of the month. A year later, she was the fashion industry’s flavor of the month. But she lasted a lot longer, appearing on virtually every major fashion-magazine cover.

At 17, the dark-eyed beauty made an appointment at a Montreal modeling agency, and her career began. Her father, a strict Muslim, and her German mother both discouraged their daughter, describing the field as unsanitary and evil.

But she followed her calling, moving to New York in August 1990 to model full-time. Within months, she became one of the select Versace faces. Her natural beauty–not to mention her amazing ability to wear clothes–quickly won her regular work for Isaac Mizrahi, Chanel and Givenchy. And her height made her the star of Donna Karan’s fall debut.

Ghauri spent most of ‘94 and ‘95 on the runways of Milan, Paris and New York, not delving into print work until late ‘95. In June ‘96, she pulled out of a major runway show for Yves Saint Laurent at the last minute, igniting rumors of retirement.

The rumors were actually well informed. Although she continues to work in modeling, Ghauri is determined to get her business degree. And though she doesn’t share her father’s strict philosophies, she does adhere to the Muslim teachings of modesty by shunning the limelight. We hope she doesn’t completely lose sight of the runway..."

Photo courtesy of Yasmeen Ghauri

Valery Prince

Eri Kim says"...Valery Prince got her start in modeling the old-fashioned (as in 1980s) way: by winning a contest at a mall.

But like other famous mall denizens Tiffany and Debbie Gibson, Prince's success didn't happen overnight.

While she did local work in her hometown of Dallas, she was neither "getting the jobs" nor "seeing the money" she hoped for. More than once she considered quitting, the 18-year-old stunner remembers. And she might have, if it hadn't been for her mother.

"My mom would say, 'I don't understand the meaning of quitting. That word is not part of my vocabulary,'" Prince recalls with a laugh. "So I hung in there." And it's a good thing she did.

Prince's career took a big turn when her booker moved from Dallas to New York this year to join T-Management, taking her with him.

In a matter of one season, she has walked the runway for everyone from Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent to Jil Sander and Christian Dior and has shot an editorial with Steven Meisel for Vogue's May issue.

Vogue's editor, Anna Wintour, was so taken by the almond-eyed, long-limbed beauty that she requested Prince appear on the Today Show with her to showcase some spring looks..."

Photo courtesy of Enorth

Gisele

Fabio Ideoeta writes "...It all started in July 20, 1980. Mr. Valdir and Mrs. Vania Bündchen were having their third and fourth kids. The two girls that had just been born already had two sisters (Raquel and Graziela), and were about to have 2 more (Gabriela and Rafaela), in the next years. The names of the two babies were Patrícia and Gisele Bündchen. Gisele Caroline Bündchen was born in Horizontia, Rio Grande do Sul, a very small town (17000 inhabitants), in the extreme south of Brazil.

Gisele and Patrícia were twins (not identical, and Gisele was born first). Actually, Gisele was born in a town called "Três de Maio" (Horizontina didn't have the infra-structure to make a surgery in a woman who was having twins). Nobody knew, but that small baby called Gisele was going to change fashion world forever.."


Photo Courtesy of KM02

Oluchi

"...Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Oluchi Onweagba is a true icon who proudly represents her continent in the international fashion industry. The super model’s life has been filled with many changes and transitions. Oluchi, the daughter of a civil servant father and mother who was a nurse, grew up in the suburbs of Lagos with her two brothers and sisters. She was a content high school student whose days were pleasantly filled with Coca-Cola, tennis, and Ping-Pong. Oluchi enjoyed taking commercial classes and planned her future as an entrepreneur. Despite her ignorance towards fashion and modeling, Oluchi accepted a friend of her family’s urging to compete in the 1998 M-Net Face of Africa competition. At the age of Seventeen, the Nigerian beauty won this prestigious continental modeling competition and has led quite a different life since. Elite Models Management awarded Oluchi a three-year modeling contract which sent her to the top of the fashion industry and she quickly became one of the most sought after model.
Oluchi, whose name means “Work of God”, has proven the prediction that she would follow the footsteps of Iman and Alek true. Shortly after her breakout competition, she graced the covers of Italian Vogue, I-D, Elle, Untold, Surface and also featured in Nylon, Marie Claire, Allure, and Vogue in a variety of different languages. Furthermore, Oluchi became the face of the campaigns for Gianfranco Ferre, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Express, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor. Oluchi’s runway experience is also lengthy and impressive. She has worked with John Galliano, Christian Dior, Costume National, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani just to name a few. Similarly, the number and caliber of photographers she has worked with includes the likes of Steven Meisel, Nick Kight, and Patrick Demarchelier.
Oluchi is more than just a pretty face. Her remarkable humbleness and free spirit exudes a refreshing disposition to her captivating beauty and striking presence. Besides upkeeping of her successful modeling career, Oluchi is pursuing an associate’s degree and plans to continue her studying afterwards. If that is not enough, she serves Leap Africa and Nipro as an active member.
Oluchi continues to emerges as a successful and endearing young woman who appreciates her past and applies her gratitude and confidence towards her future. From a mere glance at her portfolio, it is apparent just how and why Oluchi has become one of the most successful and sought after model. As one impressive, Untoldagazine put it, Oluchi has a “Career in the top echelons of fashion” and, without a doubt, an exceptional future awaiting her...."
Photo Courtesy of Mebsuta