CITY MODELS AFRICA BY SUPERMODEL AJUMA TO WORK WITH EAST AFRICAN MODELS FOR NEW YORK, LONDON, PARIS, MILAN RUNWAYS.

Ajuma

To get more African models on the catwalks of Paris, London, Milan and New York fashion weeks, Ajuma Nasenyana — a Kenyan model who has found success in the international modelling scene — has teamed up with world famous City Models Paris to set up a modelling agency in Africa, City Models Africa.
Ajuma says she has always wanted to start a modelling agency since she made Kenya her base a few years ago after living in Paris and New York, but could not find the right support.

This was until City Models approached her to run the African division.

The modelling agency was officially launched, with City Models Paris CEO Lionel Dejean attending.

“Having the opportunity to have one successful model [Ajuma] who has a lot of experience and who knows perfectly well how the business goes on at the international level and who will be able to share her experiences and to manage models. On the long run what we expect is a growing part of the African models in this industry,” said Mr Dejean.

He said the bigger picture is for City Models Africa to be the number one supplier of African models onto the international runways, noting that the number of black models has been growing over the last few seasons.

“Whether they come from Africa, America or South America, black models appearing in the shows tells us about a coming trend. Even some designers are deciding to have shows only with black models, which is totally new,” said Mr Dejean.

During the Paris Fashion Week in September, American fashion designer Rick Owens caused a stir when he used plus-sized models instead of the lanky tall ones. The models who were also dancers presented his Spring/Summer 2014 collection.

There is also a trend where more companies are developing products for dark skinned people.

“There is a real window of opportunity now for the African model, providing we find the right one and they are well managed to succeed. They can appear on the cover of the most important magazines and the best shows,” said Mr Dejean.

City Models Africa will begin in Kenya as Ms Nasenyana scouts for high fashion models in East Africa.

The firm will also be managing celebrity brands as well as searching for models and actors for African ad companies.

“People need that here because we were talking about that with a film crew, they were talking about how someone is supposed to be concentrating on his script but 80 per cent of his attention is fighting on how to get his last pay... So they need people who are going to do that for them so they can concentrate and perform to their full potential,” said Ms Nasenyana.

She acknowledges she is entering a crowded and competitive space locally and that people do not take modelling seriously as a talent, career or a means to make a living.

“The first thing I am going to be tackling is signing up a model, which means you belong to me and nobody else no matter who sends you for casting. At the end of the day the commission comes to me because your contract is with me,” said Ms Nasenyana.

She is on a mission to instil discipline in an industry she says has been lacking professionalism.

“It is quite difficult because they are used to a certain way, being late, just not turning up. You can arrange a whole photo shoot with photographer, hairstylists, makeup artists and everything and the model just doesn’t turn up.

“So I am having a problem with that at the moment but I am sure they will catch up. We are just introducing this new thing, it’s quite foreign,” she says.

City Models Africa has until February 2014 to fulfil its promise to have an East African model, their own discovery, on the Paris Fashion Week runways.

 This article first appeared on Businessdailyafrica.com


                                                            Ajuma

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