Nigerian International supermodel Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi, in an interview with Kisua Magazine, has lauded the efforts of American Television Personality, fashion model Tyra Banks and Top Beauty Cosmetics Company Iman, for their fantastic moral support and in taking pride in her (Oluchi), for her initiative to making the African version of Africa’s Next Top Model show possible.
“My genuine passion for ‘fashion Africa’ inspired me to do the show. After so many years in the business, I wanted to help other models and entertain Africans with what goes on behind the scenes in the fashion industry. It took several months of hard work to produce the first cycle and at the end of episode one I actually got emotional and cried on the show, which surprised me. I rarely cry. The eventual winner Aamito from Uganda is beautiful, smart, determine, driven and committed. She’s currently getting her work papers to relocate to New York. And I received fantastic moral support from Tyra and Iman, who were both proud that I took the initiative to make the African version possible”. The mother of two stated, when she was asked what prompted the ‘Africa Next Top Model show.
“I am very excited about the current interest in African fashion. The fashion industry has a history in Europe and the US and now finally it is being taken seriously in Africa as well as champion designers in each country and love to explore new talents coming through. It is very important that African designers become globally successful. The fashion model further stated on her view about African fashion.
When Oluchi Onweagba- Orlandi won the inaugural M-Net Face of Africa model search TV show in 1998, she was whisked from Lagos to New York and within a year, she graced the cover of Vogue Italia and shot with Steven Meisel. Since then she has landed covers of I-D, Surface, Pop and Elle and campaigns for L’Oreal, Clinique and H&M; been a Victoria’s Secret Angel and a Sports Illustrated pin up and walked for everyone from Chanel and Donna Karan to Xuly Bët and Tiffany Amber. Along the way, she has picked up a business degree, become a parent of two with her husband, Italian designer Luca Orlandi, and set up modeling agency O Model Africa in South Africa. And now, she has put this wealth of experience into masterminded her own model talent show, called ‘Africa’s Next Top Model’. The first cycle took Tyra Banks’ internationally successful franchise across Africa in search of girls who, like Oluchi 15 years before them, could make it internationally.
Aside from Africa’s NTM (Next Top Model), American Vogue has been Oluchi’s proudest moment to date. The tall black beauty who is also exploring some personal projects, is currently working on pre-production of cycle two of the show (African Next Top Model), she promises that the season 2 will be bigger and more structured
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